Although cells are separated from the outside world by a membrane, they can still sense well what is happening around them. They capture hormones and nutrients such as sugar, iron or cholesterol and bring them packed in…

Since his time as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Marek Basler has been fascinated by a tiny bacterial injection apparatus, the so-called type 6 secretion system (T6SS). This nanomachine works like…

With his nomination, Prof. Camilo Perez joins a high-ranking network of 73 current and 384 former EMBO Young Investigators , who represent some of the best young scientists in Europe and beyond. Established in 2000, the EMBO…

Development of neuronal circuits and cognitive functions The ability to navigate the world and create memories of everyday events relies on the activity of neurons that, in mammals, are located in the entorhinal cortex and…

Evolution of viruses and bacteria We want to understand the dynamics of evolution and the forces that drive it. Evolution of plants and animals tend to happen over centuries of even longer time-scales. Microbial organisms,…

E4: Current Topics in Biophysics – 25661 (3 hrs/week + exercises, 6 CP; Fall 2025, Lecture and exercises) Richard Neher, Erik van Nimwegen , Mihaela Zavolan, Knut Drescher New measurement technologies have transformed…

Unraveling the functioning and evolution of genome-wide regulatory networks Gene regulatory networks underlie much of the characteristic complex behaviors of biological systems. They allow single-celled organisms to "act on…

Starting Date : January 2026 or by agreement The Biozentrum of the University of Basel is one of the world’s leading life sciences institutes. With 32 groups and 500 employees, we are a dynamic and international research…

Prof. Markus Rüegg on neuromuscular diseases Simply taking a breath – impossible without muscles. People who suffer from neuromuscular diseases are very aware of this fact. Markus Rüegg investigates these diseases; their…

Genes provide the blueprint for life, determining when and where proteins are made. This process involves two key steps: transcription, from DNA to messenger mRNA (mRNA), and translation, where mRNA is decoded into proteins.…