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University of Basel
@unibas.ch
The official Bluesky account of the oldest university in Switzerland.
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A Harley Davidson and an affair with a younger woman — classic signs of a midlife crisis. A typically male phenomenon? Science historian Professor Susanne Schmidt was surprised to discover that the midlife crisis was originally a feminist concept.
A turning point in midlife.
A Harley Davidson and an affair with a younger woman — classic signs of a midlife crisis. What is seen as “typically male” actually has its or...
www.unibas.ch
January 30, 2026 at 10:18 AM
The University of Basel is taking on a co-lead role in National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) ‘Precision’, dedicated to cutting-edge research in high-precision measurements.
University of Basel takes co-lead role in National Centre of Competence in Research ‘Precision’
A new National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) is dedicated to cutting-edge research in high-precision measurements. As the second home institution, the University of Basel will play a central...
www.unibas.ch
January 30, 2026 at 8:21 AM
Researchers @unibas.ch & @ethz.ch have succeeded in changing the polarity of a special ferromagnet using a laser beam.
"In the future, we will be able to use our method to optically write arbitrary and adaptable topological circuits on a chip," says Prof. Dr. Tomasz Smoleński.
Light changes a magnet’s polarity
Researchers at the University of Basel and the ETH in Zurich have succeeded in changing the polarity of a special ferromagnet using a laser beam. In the future, this method could be used to create ada...
www.unibas.ch
January 29, 2026 at 9:06 AM
A low-carb diet is considered a promising weight-loss solution. But does it really help to reach your dream weight?

In a fact check for #UniNova, endocrinologist PD Dr. Eleonora Seelig explains that food quality matters more than cutting out carbohydrates.
Do carbohydrates make you fat?
Don’t eat carbohydrates after 6 p.m., or cut them out altogether: A low-carb diet is considered a promising weight-loss solution. But do you really have to deny yourself pasta and bread if you want to...
www.unibas.ch
January 27, 2026 at 3:18 PM
#Fluoride is used worldwide to prevent tooth decay. However, health concerns are raised, particularly in places where fluoride is added to drinking water. An international research team involving the University of Basel has evaluated data from over 11 million births and reached a clear conclusion 👇
Community water fluoridation: no evidence of negative effects on newborns
Large study of 11.5 million births finds no negative effects of fluoride in drinking water on newborns.
www.unibas.ch
January 26, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Entanglement is probably the most puzzling phenomenon observed in quantum systems. A research team @unibas.ch & @lkblab.bsky.social has now shown how entanglement of spatially separated quantum objects can be used to measure several physical parameters simultaneously with greater precision.
Quantum measurements with entangled atomic clouds
Researchers at the University of Basel and the Laboratoire Kastler Brossel have demonstrated how quantum mechanical entanglement can be used to measure several physical parameters simultaneously with ...
www.unibas.ch
January 26, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Researchers @unibas.ch have deciphered the diet of an important nomadic people in Eastern European history. By analyzing dental calculus, they have provided the first direct evidence that the diet of the Scythians included milk from various ruminants and horses.
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Mineralized dental plaque from the Iron Age provides insight into the diet of the Scythians
Researchers have deciphered the diet of an important nomadic people in Eastern European history. By analyzing dental calculus, they have provi...
www.unibas.ch
January 23, 2026 at 7:32 AM
A research team @nanoscience.ch has accurately observed novel energy flow mechanisms in semiconductors, post-laser pulse excitation. The findings offer critical insight towards enhancing the efficiency of electronics and computer chips. www.unibas.ch/en/News-Even...
January 19, 2026 at 10:07 AM
Environmental phenomena and their consequences can disrupt social structures and destabilize political systems. An interdisciplinary research team demonstrated this using the example of the late Tang dynasty in medieval China.
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How climate change contributed to the demise of the Tang dynasty
Environmental phenomena and their consequences can disrupt social structures and destabilize political systems. An interdisciplinary research ...
www.unibas.ch
January 16, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Fiona Doetsch, Professor of Molecular Stem Cell Biology @biozentrum.unibas.ch has been awarded the 2026 Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine. She is recognized for identifying neural stem cells in the adult mammalian brain. The prize is endowed with 500,000 Swiss francs.
👉 www.unibas.ch/en/News-Even...
Fiona Doetsch receives the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine
Fiona Doetsch receives the 2026 Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine
www.unibas.ch
January 15, 2026 at 11:08 AM
Researchers @biomedizin.unibas.ch report how the Epstein-Barr virus can initiate early multiple sclerosis-like damage in the brain. This offers a new perspective on how rare immune events may shape disease risk.
When a virus releases the immune brake: New evidence on the onset of multiple sclerosis
Researchers demonstrate how infection with the Epstein-Barr virus is linked to the onset of multiple sclerosis.
www.unibas.ch
January 14, 2026 at 7:16 AM
Short exercise sessions can help children build social relationships. This has been demonstrated by @unibas.ch researchers. An “active” short break could be a fun way to integrate these findings into everyday school life.
Exercise improves social skills in schoolchildren
Short exercise sessions can help children build social relationships. This has been demonstrated by researchers from the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health at the University of Basel. An “active...
www.unibas.ch
January 13, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Some bacterial pathogens play dead to dodge antibiotics. A new test watches them closely—and helps choose drugs that finish the job. #AntibioticTolerance @biomedizin.unibas.ch @lucboeck.bsky.social
New test shows which antibiotics actually work
Researchers at the University of Basel present a new test that measures how effectively antibiotics kill bacteria and helps predict treatment outcomes
www.unibas.ch
January 9, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Catalysts speed up chemical reactions and are essential for industry; but there is still some room for improvement. Murielle Delley wants to make catalysts more efficient and more sustainable.
In search of a more sustainable chemistry.
Catalysts speed up chemical reactions and are essential for industry; but there is still some room for improvement. Murielle Delley wants to make catalysts more efficient and more sustainable.
www.unibas.ch
January 8, 2026 at 9:15 AM
When do people engage in dialog across political divides?
A new study by researchers @socpsychbasel.bsky.social shows that personal factors matter more than the controversial nature of a topic in whether people actually talk across divides.
Why we talk to people who think differently – or why we don’t
Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a tool that measures when people engage in dialog across political divides. The results show that personal factors play a greater role in people’s...
www.unibas.ch
January 6, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Ovarian cancer reshapes the omentum, a fatty, immune-active tissue in the abdomen, early on. Even tumor-free areas may harbor cancer cells. A new study by researchers @biomedizin.unibas.ch suggests that wider removal may reduce the risk of relapse.
When ovarian cancer alters the abdominal cavity
Ovarian cancer often spreads throughout the abdominal cavity. Researchers show how cancer cells alter the surrounding tissue to suit their needs.
www.unibas.ch
January 5, 2026 at 8:08 AM
As Christmas nears, grocery stores and delicatessens everywhere fill with boxes packed with #panettone. A truly delicious panettone requires time and skill – but the result is a scientific treat, explains @mpodvinec.bsky.social.
Panettone: skill with a side of science
A scientist explains how panettone is made, combining artisanal sourdough baking with food science, exploring fermentation, gluten development...
www.unibas.ch
December 22, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Prof. Dr. Ana Zora Maspoli has been appointed the new professor of Provincial Roman Archaeology. The Rectorate has named her the holder of the Vindonissa Professorship, significantly funded by the Canton of Aargau.

👉 www.unibas.ch/en/News-Even...
New professor of Provincial Roman Archaeology
Prof. Dr. Ana Zora Maspoli has been appointed the new professor of Provincial Roman Archaeology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Rectorate has named her the holder of the Vindonis...
www.unibas.ch
December 22, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Antibody-based therapies are used to treat numerous diseases, from cancer to rheumatic disorders and multiple sclerosis. Researchers @biomedizin.unibas.ch & @biozentrum.unibas.ch now report that individual genetic differences can prevent antibody-based therapies from being effective in some people.
Individual genetic differences render some therapies ineffective
Individual genetic differences can cause antibody-based therapies to be ineffective in some patients.
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December 18, 2025 at 7:30 AM
In 2026, three new professors will take up positions in the Faculty of Medicine, while one professor will be joining the Faculty of Psychology.

👉 www.unibas.ch/en/News-Even...
December 16, 2025 at 11:35 AM
If gut bacteria are too similar to the protective layer of nerves, they can misdirect the immune system and cause it to attack its own nervous system. This mechanism can accelerate the progression of #multiplesclerosis, as researchers at the University of Basel have shown in trials with mice.
A fatal mix-up: how certain gut bacteria drive multiple sclerosis
Forschende der Universität Basel zeigen, wie Darmbakterien über molekulares Mimikry den Verlauf von Multipler Sklerose (MS) beschleunigen können.
www.unibas.ch
December 15, 2025 at 9:38 AM
From artificial intelligence to memory and from gene regulation to treatments for blindness: four projects at the University of Basel will each receive around EUR 2 million over a five-year period to pave the way for new discoveries.

👉 www.unibas.ch/en/News-Even...
December 10, 2025 at 8:48 AM
The Chinese mathematician Hong Wang has been awarded the 2025 International Ostrowski Prize in Higher Mathematics. The Ostrowski Prize is worth 100,000 Swiss Francs and is named after Alexander M. Ostrowski, a professor of mathematics who taught at the University of Basel.
Hong Wang receives Ostrowski Prize in Higher Mathematics
The Chinese mathematician Hong Wang has been awarded the 2025 International Ostrowski Prize in Higher Mathematics. The Ostrowski Prize is worth 100,000 Swiss Francs and is named after Alexander M. Ost...
www.unibas.ch
December 10, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Western Europe was successfully reconstructed after the devastation of World War II. This wouldn’t have been possible without raw materials from Africa, says historian Danelle van Zyl-Hermann in an Uni Nova interview.
Development aid from Africa.
Western Europe was successfully reconstructed after the devastation of World War II. This wouldn’t have been possible without raw materials from Africa, says historian Danelle van Zyl-Hermann.
www.unibas.ch
December 9, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Some bacteria use a kind of molecular 'speargun' to inject a lethal cocktail into their rivals. Researchers @basler-lab.bsky.social @biozentrum.unibas.ch have now found that certain bacteria can protect themselves against these toxic attacks – but this makes them more vulnerable to antibiotics.
How bacteria resist hostile attacks
Some bacteria use a kind of molecular “speargun” to eliminate their rivals, injecting them with a lethal cocktail. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered that certain bacteria can ...
www.unibas.ch
December 8, 2025 at 9:32 AM