Navigation mit Access Keys

Search


Venture Kick support for Biozentrum spin-off Aukera Therapeutics

It was only at the beginning of the year that the Biozentrum spin-off Aukera Therapeutics qualified for the BaseLaunch Accelerator program. Now the two young entrepreneurs Dr. Stefan Imseng and Dr. Dritan Liko can add…


Bacteria free themselves with molecular “speargun”

Tularemia is an infectious disease that mostly affects rabbits and rodents, but also humans can become infected. The cause of this serious disease is the bacterium Francisella tularensis . The infection biologists led by…


Distant brain regions selectively recruit stem cells

Our brain generates new neurons throughout life. A diversity of stimuli promotes stem cells in their niche to form neurons that migrate to their place of action. In an animal model Prof. Fiona Doetsch’s team at the…


Liver cancer: How liver cells go astray

The causes of liver cancer are manifold. In addition to metabolic disorders such as those associated with obesity, the main causes in the western world are infections with hepatitis C virus and high alcohol consumption.…


Gene transfer keeps bacteria fit

Bartonella are bacteria that can cause diverse infectious diseases in man, such as cat-scratch disease. In order to prevent the accumulation of mutations during the infection cycle, pathogens require efficient DNA repair…


Resistant cancer cells: 3D structure of a drug transporter decoded

In the course of evolution, the human body has developed diverse strategies to protect itself from harmful substances. In the intestine, the placenta and also in the blood-brain barrier are tiny transport proteins, which…


Relocation of proteins with a new nanobody tool

The research group of Markus Affolter is investigating the growth of the wings of the fruit fly Drosophila to understand which processes control organ development and growth. Proteins that control such growth processes are…


Not necessarily harmful: Protein aggregates in the brain

In the past, amyloids have mainly been associated with neurodegenerative diseases. These solid, insoluble protein clumps damage the nerve cells. The research group led by Prof. Martin Spiess at the Biozentrum of the…


Immune defense without collateral damage

In the human body’s fight against bacterial pathogens, white blood cells are in the front line. They identify and ingest the invaders, and render them harmless using highly toxic substances. It is important that these…


Cholera bacteria form aggressive biofilm to kill immune cells

Many bacteria adopt a fascinating defense strategy by forming communities on surfaces, known as biofilms. We encounter such biofilms in our daily lives, for example, as dental plaque in the mouth, slimy films on stones in…