The Department

Research in life sciences is central to overcoming the challenges of human health and disease, production processes in industry and their impact on the environment. The magnitude and complexity of these challenges call for a paradigm shift towards holistic, systems-based and interdisciplinary approaches.

At the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE ), experimental and computational biologists and engineers work together in an interdisciplinary team in order to conduct comprehensive analysis of complex processes in cells and organisms. They develop strategies and techniques for the programming and rational design of cell functions, and implement these in complex biological systems. D-BSSE research is driven by open scientific questions and unmet societal needs in biotechnology and life sciences.

Mission

The mission of D-BSSE is the understanding, rational design and programming of complex biological systems from the nanoscale up to whole organisms.

The department advances basic and applied biological sciences with the overall goal of translating its research into biomedical and industrial applications, and promoting the development of new processes and products in the biotech, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. To maximise the impact of this ambitious endeavour, the department is located in Basel, the life sciences capital of Europe. In collaboration with partners from industry, hospitals and other academic institutions, the Basel location facilitates research applications in the emerging fields of precision medicine and personalised health, molecular systems engineering and data science. Education, research and entrepreneurship at D-BSSE in Basel strengthen collaboration in life sciences internationally and in the Zurich and Basel areas.

Interdisciplinary Research in Europe's Life Sciences Capital