2023 was a year of significant scientific discoveries and exciting community activities. A major highlight was our first World Alumni Day, celebrating our global community and renewing as well as fostering connections. More than 400 alumni from all over the world followed our invitation and took the opportunity to visit the new building, meet old friends and former colleagues and reminisce about their time at the Biozentrum. The annual Biozentrum symposium was another key event bringing together the more than 400 researchers working in various research fields. This symposium, which took place in the Kunstmuseum Basel for the first time, is an excellent platform for scientific exchange, to present and discuss research results as well as to network with colleagues.
Engagement with the younger generation has always been a focus. Also, in 2023, students were given multiple opportunities to experience hands-on research at the Biozentrum, from the “Biozentrum Research Summer” for undergraduate students, the “Basel Summer Science Academy” for high school students from the Basel region to the “How to be a scientist” course for our fresh PhD students. Furthermore, our public events such as the lecture series “Einblicke Biozentrum” attracted diverse audiences, indicating the continuing interest in our research.
The numerous publications from the Biozentrum labs in the past year, from research into the dynamics of bacterial communities to physiological adaptations of muscles during endurance training, reflect the important contributions to advancing scientific knowledge. They also underscore the importance of collaborations across disciplines and life sciences institutions in academia and industry. These collaborative efforts resulted, for example, in joint meetings with the Department of Biomedicine and the newly founded Roche Institute of Human Biology, where the research group leaders shared expertise and seized opportunities for future collaborations.
Finally, the acquisition of the Biozentrum start-up “T3 Pharma” by the German pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim underscores the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit nurtured at the Biozentrum. Prof. Torsten Schwede’s election as President of the SNSF Research Council, Prof. Marek Basler’s EMBO Membership, a SNSF Consolidator Grant for Prof. Knut Drescher, three new SNSF Ambizione fellows and Profs. Alex Schier and Torsten Schwede being among the world’s most cited scientists were further highlights of the past year.
Check out the latest issue of our “Biozentrum Highlights” brochure for an overview of the past year’s achievements and activities at the Biozentrum.
Contact: Communications, Katrin Bühler
