A Basel-led international research team has discovered a connection between the intestinal flora and sites of inflammation in the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis. A specific class of immune cell plays a central role in this newly identified gut-brain axis. The discovery could pave the way for new treatments for MS that target the intestinal flora.
Lake Tanganyika in Africa is a true hotspot of organismal diversity. Approximately 240 species of cichlid fishes have evolved in this lake in less than 10 million years. A research team from the University of Basel has investigated this phenomenon of “explosive speciation” and provides new insights into the origins of biological diversity, as they report in the journal “Nature”.
The results of a survey conducted by the University of Basel showed that the pandemic’s first wave put a great deal of psychological strain on many people in Switzerland. Now, the second wave of Covid-19 has arrived just as the nights are drawing in again. A second survey conducted as part of the Swiss Corona Stress Study seeks to determine the effects that the rise in infection rates and restrictions on day-to-day living are having on people’s mental well-being.
Bacteria are considered to be true experts in survival. Their rapid adaptive response to changing environmental conditions is based, among other things, on two competing signaling molecules. As the “Yin and Yang” of metabolic control they decide on the lifestyle of bacteria, as reported by researchers from the University of Basel. The new findings also play a role in the context of bacterial infections.
Researchers from Basel and Spain have identified a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant that has spread widely across Europe in recent months, according to an un-peer-reviewed preprint released this week. While there is no evidence of this variant being more dangerous, its spread may give insights into the efficacy of travel policies adopted by European countries during the summer.
Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a precisely controllable system for mimicking biochemical reaction cascades in cells. Using microfluidic technology, they produce miniature polymeric reaction containers equipped with the desired properties.
A huge number of volunteers signed up to help people in coronavirus risk groups – primarily via online platforms. Such websites can have a positive impact with regard to the mobilization, willingness and satisfaction of volunteers, including in the longer term.
Researchers at the University of Basel have discovered a new mechanism by which bacteria ensure that their outer cell membrane remains intact and functional even under hostile conditions. This mechanism is important for the pathogen’s survival in the host. The study provides new insights underlying pathogenic virulence.
Bronze Age pastoralists in what is now southern Russia apparently covered shorter distances than previously thought. It is believed that the Indo-European languages may have originated from this region, and these findings raise new questions about how technical and agricultural innovations spread to Europe. An international research team, with the participation of the University of Basel, has published a paper on this topic.