The University of Basel (German: Universität Basel) is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country. In 2011, QS World University Rankings ranked the university 151st overall in the world, while a year before it was ranked 96–98th worldwide according to the Russian based Global University Ranking. Founded in 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university. Erasmus, Paracelsus, Daniel Bernoulli, Jacob Burckhardt, Leonhard Euler, Friedrich Nietzsche, Eugen Huber, Carl Jung, Karl Barth, and Hans Urs von Balthasar are among those associated with the university, which is nowadays noted for research into tropical medicine. The University of Basel was founded in connection with the Council of Basel. The deed of foundation given in the form of a Papal bull by Pope Pius II on November 12, 1459, and the official opening ceremony was held on April 4, 1460. Originally the University of Basel was decreed to have four faculties, namely those of arts, medicine, theology and jurisprudence.
Probing individual edge states with unprecedented precision
A new technique makes it possible to obtain an individual fingerprint of the current-carrying edge states occurring in novel materials such as topological insulators or 2-D materials. Physicists of the University of Basel ...
Sep 12, 2018
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Like a zipper: How cells form new blood vessels
Blood vessel formation relies on the ability of vascular cells to move while remaining firmly connected to each other. This enables the vessels to grow and sprout without leaking any blood. In the current issue of Nature ...
How the forest copes with the summer heat
Between April and August this year, Switzerland and central Europe have experienced the driest summer season since 1864. The forest especially seems to suffer from this dry spell: As early as August, trees began to turn brown ...
Novel approach to coherent control of a three-level quantum system
For the first time, researchers were able to study quantum interference in a three-level quantum system and thereby control the behavior of individual electron spins. To this end, they used a novel nanostructure in which ...
New approach to terpene syntheses
Terpenes are natural products that are often very difficult to synthesize in the laboratory. Chemists from the University of Basel have now developed a synthesis method that mimics nature. The decisive step takes place inside ...
Mystery of the Basel papyrus solved
Since the 16th century, Basel has been home to a mysterious papyrus. With mirror writing on both sides, it has puzzled generations of researchers. A research team from the University of Basel has now discovered that it is ...
Insectivorous birds consume annually as much energy as the city of New York
Insectivorous birds, represented by more than 6,000 species, are found across the world in all major land ecosystems. The fact that they are extremely useful as natural enemies of herbivorous insects had been known for some ...
How to track and trace a protein: Nanosensors monitor intracellular deliveries
Researchers at the University of Basel's Biozentrum have developed a method for tracing the movement of proteins within the cell. They tagged proteins with tiny nanosensors, so-called nanobodies, which enable the scientists ...
Enigma of fatty acid metabolism solved—enzyme shape controls activity
The core components of all body fats are fatty acids. Their production is initiated by the enzyme ACC. Researchers at the University of Basel's Biozentrum have now demonstrated how ACC assembles into distinct filaments. As ...
Phasing out nuclear energy could affect safety
The way in which the phase-out of nuclear power plants in Germany is currently planned could negatively influence the safety of the facilities. Those involved could increasingly favor their own interests as the shutdown date ...
