Tracking down microplastics in Antarctica

Microplastics are everywhere, even in the most remote places. Where do these tiny pieces of plastic come from? Researchers from the University of Basel and the Alfred-Wegener Institute have shown that it takes precise analysis ...

How does a wing grow? A journey on the path of proteins

How organs develop and how they grow to the right size and shape are fundamental questions in developmental biology. The morphogen Dpp is a signaling molecule controlling the development of different organs with regard to ...

Sustainable farming: There's no one solution

Sustainable agriculture will not be achieved by one universal solution. A meta-analysis by the University of Basel shows that the current focus on no-till farming does not achieve the desired results. A sustainable system ...

An efficient and low-cost approach to detecting food fraud

Fraudulent practices in food production, especially false claims of geographical origin, cause billions of dollars in economic damage every year. Botanists at the University of Basel have now developed a model that can be ...

How mercury gets into the sea

Mercury released into the atmosphere by industry enters the sea and from there makes its way into the food chain. Now, an analysis by the University of Basel has revealed how the harmful substance enters seawater in the first ...

Highly dynamic sex chromosomes in cichlid fishes

The cichlids of Lake Tanganyika in Africa are highly diverse—including with regard to sex chromosomes. These have changed extremely frequently in the course of the evolution of these fish and, depending on the species, ...

Thinking in 3D improves mathematical skills

Spatial reasoning ability in small children reflects how well they will perform in mathematics later. Researchers from the University of Basel recently came to this conclusion, making the case for better cultivation of spatial ...

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