Researchers led by Prof. Silvia Arber have created a detailed map of the mouse motor cortex, identifying 16 distinct subregions with specific patterns of brain connectivity. The study sheds new light on the brain circuits that control movement.🧪 @unibas.ch @alleninstitute.org @fmiscience.bsky.social

Mapping how the brain organizes movement

Researchers led by Prof. Silvia Arber have created the most detailed map yet of the mouse motor cortex. The map reveals 16 distinct subregions and sheds new light on the brain circuits that control mo...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

Congratulations to Aukera Therapeutics! The Biozentrum spin-off won the “Hottest Biotech Startup” special award and placed 25th in the 2026 Top 100 Swiss Startup ranking. @unibas.ch #innovationoffice #AukeraTherapeutics #venturelab.ch #TOP100SSU #SwissStartups

A new AI tool developed by researchers at Helmholtz Munich and Ben Engel’s team at the Biozentrum automates the analysis of cell membranes and membrane proteins in 3D images, cutting work that once took weeks to just a few hours. 🧪 @helmholtzmunich.bsky.social @tum.de @cellarchlab.com @unibas.ch

Weeks of work in a few hours: AI tool reads cell membranes

Cell membranes and the proteins within them control many vital processes and play a key role in health and disease. But studying them in 3D images of cells has so far meant slow, manual work. A team f...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

The @snsf.ch has awarded Alaa Alhayek a prestigious #Ambizione grant. Her project will explore how a bacterium that commonly lives on our skin can cross the intact skin barrier, reach deeper tissues and contribute to difficult-to-treat infections. 🧪 Congratulations! @unibas.ch

Alaa Alhayek receives SNSF Ambizione Grant

The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has awarded Alaa Alhayek a prestigious Ambizione Grant. In her project, she will explore how a bacterium that commonly lives on our skin can cross the int...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

Congratulations to Yuping Li on being awarded a prestigious ERC Starting Grant. In her project, she will investigate how bacteria detect and defend themselves against giant viruses known as jumbophages.🧪 @yuping-li.bsky.social @unibas.ch @erc.europa.eu #ERCStartingGrant #research #lifesciences

ERC Starting Grant for Yuping Li

Giant viruses are masters in evading bacterial defense systems. With a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC), Prof. Yuping Li will investigate how bacteria detect and fight these gia...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

How do you visualize highly complex data without losing important information? Prof. Erik van Nimwegen’s team developed a new tool, Bonsai, that provides a faithful picture of the structure in the data. @erikvannimwegen.bsky.social @unibas.ch @dhdegroot.bsky.social @imbavienna.bsky.social

Seeing the Unseen: A new tool for exploring complex biological data

Modern biology research can now generate valuable data on an unprecedented scale. But there is one major obstacle: making sense of these complex high-dimensional datasets. Prof. Erik van Nimwegen’s te...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

🧪 Why do we get sleepy after staying awake for so long? A new study reveals how specific brainstem neurons monitor prolonged wakefulness and generate the drive to sleep. @schierlab.bsky.social @unibas.ch @nature.com Learn more 👇

Why do we get sleepy? How neurons control sleep drive

Why does staying awake inevitably make us sleepy? Researchers led by Prof. Alex Schier have identified neuronal populations in the brain that become activated during prolonged wakefulness and are cruc...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

Coronin proteins have long been regarded as regulators of the cytoskeleton. Jean Pieters’ team challenges this long-held view, finding that they are dispensable for actin cytoskeleton organization. 🧪 @unibas.ch @plosbiology.org @snsf.ch #cytoskeleton #actin #coronins #lifesciences #research

Study challenges a long-held view in cell biology

Scientific progress comes not only from discovering something entirely new, but also from taking a fresh look at long-held assumptions. In a recent study, Prof. Jean Pieters’ team at the Biozentrum ch...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

One month left to apply!! 🧪 @biozentrum.unibas.ch seeks a group👩‍🔬 exploring molecular questions relevant to climate 🌍, including biogeochemical cycles (e.g., carbon, nitrogen) ♻️, bioenergetic energy conversion (e.g., photosynthesis, chemosynthesis) ☀️⚗️, and the adaptation to environmental change 🌊🌡️🦠🌾

Ben Engel@cellarchlab.com · 3mo ago

Super excited to launch this search for a new endowed professor at the @biozentrum.unibas.ch! Join us to build a research cluster in Climate Biophysics! 🌍🌊🌾🔬🧪 This is a unique opportunity to create a community in Basel🇨🇭working together on this timely topic! ⏳🌡️ Questions? Please reach out! 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬

Ready for the next step in your scientific career? Apply now for a fully funded Biozentrum PhD Fellowship and explore a wide range of research fields before choosing your PhD lab. 🧪 Applications for the current call are open until October 18, 2026. More information 👇

Biozentrum PhD Fellowships

Share your passion for life sciences. If you are talented and highly motivated, want to broaden your horizons and are interested in a wide range of research topics, apply for one of the sought after B...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

🧪To supply the body with oxygen and nutrients, billions of cells must organize into an intricate network of blood vessels. A new study reveals how pushing and pulling forces shape our blood vessels. @unibas.ch @snsf.ch @elife.bsky.social Learn more 👇

Blood must flow: How pushing and pulling forces shape our blood vessels

How do blood vessels form to reliably supply the body with oxygen and nutrients? A research team led by Prof. em. Markus Affolter and Dr. Heinz-Georg Belting at the Biozentrum has revealed how pushing...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

📣 #OpenCall: Project Funding Researchers can determine the nature and topic of their research projects independently. Open to all disciplines. 📆 Submission deadline: 1 October 2026 ➡️ Read more: sohub.io/b6cm

A gene therapy for #LAMA2 muscular dystrophy is within reach. In our interview, Markus Rüegg speaks about the promise of gene therapy, the obstacles ahead, and the impact on rare disease research. www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/research/res... #LAMA2MD #GeneTherapy #RareDisease @ruegglab.bsky.social

“Our gene therapy could be a success”

For more than thirty years, Markus Rüegg’s group has been studying muscles and nerves. In the interview, he talks about the development of a gene therapy to treat a severe form of a muscular dystrophy...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

#PhD position in Antibiotic Biosensor Protein Engineering! Join the lab of Knut Drescher to develop next-generation biosensors for antibiotics using protein engineering and computational design, and help tackle antibiotic resistance. Apply by 20 Aug 2026! www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/open-positio...

Prof. Jan Pieter Abrahams celebrated his farewell symposium on Monday at the Biozentrum. Wishing him all the very best for a wonderful emeritus chapter! 👏 Read more about his exciting career: www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/news/detail/...

Prof. Jan Pieter Abrahams awarded emeritus status

The structure of molecules and proteins has fascinated Prof. Jan Pieter Abrahams throughout his scientific career. His research has been dedicated to visualizing the fundamental molecular structures o...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

New Assistant (tenure-track) or Associate Professor position in Climate #Biophysics! Join our international research community to explore fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying climate-relevant biological processes. Apply by 7 Sept 2026! www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/de/open-posi...

Congratulations to Prof. Sebastian Hiller and all newly elected EMBO members! This lifelong membership recognizes outstanding scientific achievements. 🧪 #EMBOMembers2026 @hillerlab.bsky.social @unibas.ch @embo.org www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/news/detail/...

Sebastian Hiller elected EMBO member

The prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) has elected Prof. Sebastian Hiller from the Biozentrum as a new member.

biozentrum.unibas.ch

Last Discovery Seminar before the summer break: On Friday, July 3, Prof. Alexander Stark from the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology @impvienna.bsky.social will talk about “Decoding Transcription Regulation.” Everyone is welcome!

Join us for our upcoming #DiscoverySeminar featuring Prof. Lacra Bintu @lacrabintu.bsky.social from @stanforduniversity.bsky.social . She will talk about: High-throughput dissection of transcriptional repressors in human cells. We look forward to welcoming you!

🧪 Zebrafish help shed light on Restless Legs Syndrome: Prof. Alex Schier's team @schierlab.bsky.social discovered that an RLS-associated gene is crucial for the development and function of the cerebellum, offering new clues to this common sleep disorder. @unibas.ch @currentbiology.bsky.social

Restless Legs Syndrome – Clues from Zebrafish

Restless legs, restless nights: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common but still mysterious sleep disorder. Using zebrafish, Prof. Alex Schier’s team has discovered that a gene associated with RLS i...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

The Science Magazine & SciLifeLab Prize is awarded annually to four young scientists for outstanding #LifeScience research based on a doctoral degree – and the essay they write about it. 🧪 Do you know someone who could apply? Share this – and the link below – with them! ↓ scienceprize.scilifelab.se

Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists – celebrating excellent young researchers

The Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists is a global prize, established in 2013, aimed at rewarding scientists at an early stage of their careers.

scienceprize.scilifelab.se

Biozentrum Director Prof. Alex Schier concludes a successful Biozentrum Retreat 2026 in Olten. Three days of great science, thoughtful discussions, new connections, and plenty of opportunities to learn from one another. youtu.be/IrrtknfpSeM

Biozentrum Retreat 2026: Director Alex Schier

YouTube video by BiozentrumBasel

youtu.be

In a new study, Prof. Anissa Kempf's team demonstrates in fruit flies that gut function is linked to feeding, sleep, and survival. Their work adds to growing evidence that the gut communicates with the brain and can influence behavior. 🧪@unibas.ch #ScienceAdvances @snsf.ch

Sleeping instead of eating: How the gut influences behavior

Before newly hatched fruit flies feed for the first time, they need to empty their gut. But that’s not all: researchers led by Prof. Anissa Kempf at the Biozentrum have now discovered a surprising lin...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

Last week, our Biozentrum Retreat took place for the third time, this year at the Arte Hotel in Olten, helping to strengthen connections across our community and fostering open discussions about research. @biozentrum.unibas.ch @unibas.ch

Highlights from the Biozentrum Retreat 2026

Scientific exchange, interdisciplinary dialogue, and community spirit were at the heart of this year’s three-day Biozentrum Retreat in Olten. The event was again a highlight in the annual program of t...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

🧪Protection for newborns Meningitis is rare in newborns but often dramatic. Researchers @biozentrum.unibas.ch @unibas.ch and @ethz.ch have developed a preventive approach that stops harmful bacteria in their tracks before transmission even occurs. @snsf.ch @natcomms.nature.com Learn more 👇

Protection for newborns: new treatment aims to prevent meningitis without antibiotics

Meningitis is rare in newborns but often dramatic. For the first time, researchers have developed a preventive approach that stops harmful bacteria in their tracks before transmission even occurs. Res...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has elected Prof. Sebastian Hiller @hillerlab.bsky.social as a new member. Election to the academy is considered as one of the highest scientific honors in Germany. Congratulations! @leopoldina.org @unibas.ch

Sebastian Hiller elected member of the Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences

Prof. Sebastian Hiller, structural biologist at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, has been elected as a new member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

biozentrum.unibas.ch

Anne Grahl took a leap into the unknown and found her place in venture capital. In our latest alumni portrait, she shares why listening is an important skill, how science trained her to think critically, and why sometimes the hardest part of the job is saying “no” to great ideas. Read the interview👇

“Out of hundreds of start-ups, we invest in just a handful”

Anne Grahl took a leap into the unknown, moving from a postdoc at the Biozentrum into the world of venture capital. She has now been working for over four years at Pureos Bioventures, a venture capita...

biozentrum.unibas.ch

On May 29, we’ll welcome our next speaker, Dr. Tam Mignot from Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique @cnrs.fr , for our Discovery lecture: “Bacterial predators: invisible pillars of soil ecosystems” Join us to explore the microbial complexity of soils and the role of bacterial predators.

Join us for our next Discovery Seminar with guest speaker Prof. @Sergiu P. Pașca from @stanforduniversity.bsky.social, presenting “Building Human Neural Circuits: From Stem Cells to Organoids to Assembloids and Beyond.”

🧪 A new study led by Dr. Janani Durairaj and Prof. Torsten Schwede shows that current AI models in drug discovery still face limitations. Learn more👇 @ninjani.bsky.social @torstenschwede.bsky.social @unibas.ch @snsf.ch @natureportfolio.nature.com www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/news/detail/...

AI models still reach limits in drug discovery

Developing new medicines is a slow and costly process. For some years now, artificial intelligence (AI) has been considered a promising tool to accelerate drug discovery by identifying drug candidates...

biozentrum.unibas.ch