D-BSSE News

Since the beginning of the pandemic, scientists have been testing sewage to detect the presence of SARS-COV-2 viruses and its variants - and warn the Public Health authorities ahead of time. A study led by researchers from the D-BSSE groups of Niko Beerenwinkel and of Tanja Stadler as well as their collaborators at Eawag now developed a mathematical tool to factor in the bias that has long been observed in wastewater-based epidemiology, a phenomenon called ‘shedding’.

A warm welcome to our 76 new Master students at D-BSSE in Basel, enrolled in our Biotechnology (36 students) and Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (40) Master’s degree programmes. Have a great start and enjoy your time at D-BSSE!

On 11 September 2025, the D-BSSE came together for a full-day retreat at the Main Campus Convention Center (MC3) in Allschwil. With 240 participants and a waiting list due to space limitations, the event brought together D-BSSE staff members from across disciplines for a packed programme of scientific exchange, institutional updates, and future-focused discussions.

Congratulations to Gisbert Schneider, head of the Computer-assisted Drug Design group at D-BSSE, on receiving the Pharmacy Science Award in the category ‘pharmaceutical chemistry’ for advancing research in AI-supported drug development. The award was established by Phoenix, a company specialised in pharmaceutical wholesale and pharmacy operations.

A new Perspectives paper in Nature Reviews Biodiversity explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping palaeontology and biodiversity research, offering transformative tools to analyse complex fossil data and evolutionary patterns across deep time. The authors from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich highlight how AI is already being used to automate fossil data processing, extract morphological traits, and model evolutionary dynamics – paving the way for a new era of discovery.

D-BSSE again participates in the National Future Day with five dedicated scientific programmes which are embedded in the ETH programme. This year, National Future Day is taking place on 13 November, when 5th and 7th grade pupils will have the opportunity at D-BSSE to delve into the diverse professional world of science and technology.

The Swiss 3R Competence Center (3RCC) gives the 2024 Swiss 3Rs Young Investigator Award to Manon Murdeau from the Bio Engineering Lab for her innovative research in reproductive toxicology, exemplifying the 3Rs principle by reducing animal use while enhancing the quality and ethical standards of biomedical science.

Scientists are taking gene-editing research to the next level – out of the petri dish and into living animals. A new review by researchers from Randall Platt’s Biological Engineering lab which highlights how scientists are using CRISPR, the revolutionary genetic “scissors,” to study how genes work inside living organisms. The approach could dramatically speed up discoveries in medicine, from understanding cancer to developing new treatments for rare diseases.

Daniel Müller, head of the Biophysics group at D-BSSE, receives the NanoTemper award from the European Biophysical Societies’ Association (EBSA) in recognition of his scientific achievements in biophysics. In particular, his innovative development of nanoscale biophysical methods and their application to uncovering fundamental biological processes was highlighted. NanoTemper who sponsors this award, is a leading developer of biophysical tools and instruments. Congratulations, Daniel!

A new study published in Nature Neuroscience reveals how our brains achieve the remarkable feat of synchronising visual signals that travel at different speeds –even within the small nervous system of the eye known as the retina.