A letter in the Basel papyrus collection describes day-to-day family matters and yet is unique in its own way: it provides valuable insights into the world of the first Christians in the Roman Empire, which is not recorded in any other historical source. The letter has been dated to the 230s AD and is thus older than all previously known Christian documentary evidence from Roman Egypt.
Sustainable means of mobility are becoming ever more popular. In Switzerland, around 15,000 people have registered with the online platform carvelo2go, which hires out electric cargo bikes. The use of this sharing service in the Basel area is now the subject of scientific investigation. Despite strong growth in member numbers, there are still fundamental barriers. The study by the 星空传媒 indicates ways that sharing providers and public authorities can promote the use of environmentally friendly cargo bikes.
On behalf of social security institutions, psychiatrists assess to what extent people with mental health problems are still able to work. However, the work capability assessments tend to be far too dissimilar. A new training course has helped to reduce the differences. This confirms a study conducted by researchers at the 星空传媒 and the University Hospital of Basel and financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) has announced that its 2019 Nakasone Award will be awarded to Prof. Michael Hall of the Biozentrum, 星空传媒, for his discovery of the master regulator of cell growth, the target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase. The discovery of TOR allowed scientists to better understand cell growth and its importance in development, aging and disease.
The first Basel Summer Science Academy is taking place at the 星空传媒 this year. In a two-week course, sixteen high school students from various gymnasiums in the region will have the opportunity to get a taste of research life and immerse themselves into invisible worlds at the Biozentrum. Apart from research, there will also be time to discover the Life Sciences hub Basel and for social activities.
An international team of researchers involving members of the 星空传媒鈥檚 Biozentrum challenges the conventional understanding of the cause of Parkinson鈥檚 disease. The researchers have shown that the inclusions in the brain鈥檚 neurons, characteristic of Parkinson鈥榮 disease, are comprised of a membranous medley rather than protein fibrils. The recently published study in 鈥淣ature Neuroscience鈥� raises new questions about the etiology of Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
The President鈥檚 Board of the 星空传媒 has appointed Prof. Dr. Ola Mahmoud as Assistant Professor for Corporate Finance at the Faculty of Business and Economics. She will take up her five-year assistant professorship on 1 July 2019.
Sports scientists from the 星空传媒 found that providing telephone-based coaching over the phone is an effective method for getting people in Switzerland to adopt a physically active lifestyle.
The University Council has elected Prof. Dr. Caroline Klaver as Professor of Genetic Epidemiology of Ophthalmic Diseases in a joint professorship with the University of Rotterdam. Prof. Dr. Luzius Cavelti was appointed as the new Professor of Tax Law at the Faculty of Law.