UNI NOVA – Research Magazine of the University of Basel
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Focal areaTreating glaucoma.
Text: David Herrmann / Among people over 50, one in 50 will suffer from glaucoma, which can lead to a loss of vision if left untreated. The Eye Clinic at the University Hospital Basel has been making major contributions to research into the condition.
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Focal areaMacular degeneration: no cure in sight.
Text: Samanta Siegfried / Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of visual impairment in old age and is currently untreatable in the majority of cases. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) are investigating why this is such a complex disease.
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Focal areaHow the eye sees.
When we look at an object, we see it – instantaneously. What sounds simple actually relies on a complex process of multiple coordinated steps. It begins when light from the object we are looking at is reflected. Within fractions of a second, the light reaches our eye, which processes it and passes it on to the brain.
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Interview“The focus should be on the individual, not on their gender.”
Interview: Samanta Siegfried / How gender-equal is teaching at Swiss schools? Not yet fully, according to a recent study. Educational researcher Elena Makarova also believes that plenty more work is required to establish gender equality in the working world.
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ResearchWhat should the relationship between Switzerland and the EU look like in future, Christa Tobler?
Text: Christa Tobler / A lawyer and an economist give their views on the current state of play.
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ResearchWhat should the relationship between Switzerland and the EU look like in future, Rolf Weder?
Text: Rolf Weder / A lawyer and an economist give their views on the current state of play.
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ResearchTiger mosquito on the increase.
Text: Reto Caluori / At first, the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito was limited to Ticino. Now, however, it is colonizing more and more new regions in Switzerland. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an invasive mosquito species that originates from Southeast Asia. It has adapted perfectly to its new environment and is starting to establish itself here.
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ResearchCombating bacteria with viruses.
Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / As viruses that specialize in attacking bacteria, phages promise huge potential for the treatment of infections. Scientists in Basel are searching the natural world for new species of phages that can help them identify vulnerabilities in bacteria.
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ResearchMontages at the boundary between art and politics.
Text: Ylenia Sartorel / German artist John Heartfield used photomontages to shine a critical light on social issues in interwar Germany. Now, an art historian in Basel has re-examined his work.
