All University of Basel articles
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NewsRed Queen arms race over millions of years preserves genetic diversity in water flea
Host/parasite arms races can occur without interruption over many millions of years, a much longer period than previously thought, according to scientists who compared the genetic material of millimeter-sized water fleas infected by a parasitic bacterium.
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NewsLung organoids unveil secret of how pathogens infect human lung tissue
Using human lung microtissues, researchers have uncovered the strategy used by a dangerous pathogen to invade the lungs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa targets specific lung cells and has developed a sophisticated strategy to break through the lungs’ line of defense.
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News'Failed drug' could offer new approach to Epstein-Barr virus and resulting diseases
Researchers have found that the Epstein-Barr virus triggers infected cells to ramp up the production of an enzyme known as IDO1, a discovery that offers a promising starting point for putting the brakes on EBV.
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NewsIn medieval England, leprosy spread between red squirrels and people, genome evidence shows
Evidence from archaeological sites in the medieval English city of Winchester shows that English red squirrels once served as an important host for Mycobacterium leprae strains that caused leprosy in people, researchers report.
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NewsPathogens deploy speargun nanomachine to spread unrecognized in the body
Researchers have uncovered a unique tactic certain bacteria use to spread in the body without being detected by the immune system. In their study, they reveal the crucial role of a bacterial nanomachine in this infection process.
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NewsResistant bacteria can remain in the body for years
People with pre-existing conditions in particular can carry resistant germs and suffer from repeated infections for years, according to a new study.
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NewsSyphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before the arrival of Columbus
Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Zurich have discovered the genetic material of the pathogen Treponema pallidum in the bones of people who died in Brazil 2,000 years ago. Source: Photo: Dr. Jose Filippini Skeleton at the site in Jubuicabeira II, Brazil. This is the oldest ...
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NewsPhages found that bring slumbering bacteria out of deep sleep and then kill them
Researchers questioning whether evolution might have produced bacteriophages that specialise in dormant bacteria and could be used to target them have now shown that such phages, though rare, do indeed exist.
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NewsMore than 30 new species of bacteria discovered in patient samples
A team that has been collecting and analyzing patient samples containing unknown germs since 2014 have discovered more than 30 new species of bacteria, some of which are associated with clinically relevant infections.
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NewsFungi used to inoculate diseased fields and boost yields
A team of researchers has shown on a large scale that the application of mycorrhizal fungi in the field works.
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NewsSophisticated swarming: bacteria support each other across generations
When bacteria build communities, they cooperate and share nutrients across generations. Researchers have demonstrated this for the first time using a newly developed method that enables the tracking of gene expression.
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NewsBiological particles play crucial role in Arctic cloud ice formation
A new study reveals a crucial role of biological particles, including pollen, spores, and bacteria, in the formation of ice within Arctic clouds.
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NewsHospital infection shows dual colonisation strategy
Researchers have uncovered why one of the most dangerous nosocomial pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is so difficult to combat - it follows a dual strategy, with some bacteria colonizing the tissue surface while others spread in the body.
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NewsCholera bacteria form aggressive biofilm to kill immune cells
Resarchers have discovered that the bacterial pathogen that causes cholera forms a novel type of bacterial community on immune cells: an aggressive biofilm that is lethal for the cells.
