University of Basel

Swiss Nanoscience Institute

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Shapeshifting gates guard the cell nucleus

An international study led by the University of Basel has discovered that nuclear pore complexes – tiny gateways in the nuclear membrane – are not rigid or gel-like as once thought. Their interiors are dynamically organized, constantly…

[Translate to English:] Illustration
/ News, Research

When quantum light does work

Members of the SNI network have developed a new theoretical approach to thermodynamics for quantum systems that interact with light. The researchers led by Prof. Dr. Patrick Potts (Department of Physics, University of Basel) take into…

/ News, Research

A Toxin with a Useful Twist

Researchers from the SNI network have discovered a novel way to fuse lipid vesicles at neutral pH. By harnessing a fragment of the diphtheria toxin, the team achieved vesicle membrane fusion without the need for pre-treatment or harsh…

Illustration of the application of the new SQUID
/ News, Research

Ultrasensitive SQUID nanoprobes for high-resolution magnetic field images

Researchers from the SNI network have developed innovative, extremely small, and robust magnetic field probes that enable high-resolution images of nanoscale magnetic structures. The sensors are based on superconducting quantum interference…

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Fight for survival – Our contribution to the Global Science Film Festival 2025

Invisible to the naked eye, but omnipresent: bacteria live in the soil, in water – and even inside us. Many are essential to life, and some possess sophisticated weapons to fight microscopic rivals. In our short film, researchers from the…

Illustration of an anchored metalloenzyme and membrane domains of different sizes
/ News, Research

Controlled phase separation in membranes

Cell membranes consist of a mixture of different lipids and proteins. These are not always evenly distributed. Under certain conditions, similar lipids and proteins can accumulate laterally in small areas within the membrane. This phase…

/ News, Research, Preise

ERC Grant for Tomasz Smoleński

Prof. Tomasz Smoleński is a new member of the SNI network, succeeding Prof. Christian Schönenberger, our former director. Smoleński recently became a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Basel…

Schematic illustration
/ News, Research

A smart accelerator for qubits

Researchers at the University of Basel have made a quantum bit faster and more robust at the same time. In the future, this could help in the development of quantum computers. 18 August 2025 | Oliver Morsch There are high hopes for…

microscopic images of cells
/ News, Research

Manipulating tiny things with sound

Manipulating microscopic objects with sound Researchers from the SNI network recently published their findings on using acoustic tweezers — devices that manipulate tiny objects using sound waves without solid contact— in a more efficient…

Illustration of the three different forms of the analyzed porphyrin derivate.
/ News, Research

Kagome network from a single molecular building block: Complex structure produced by self-assembly of porphyrin derivate

Researchers from the SNI network have shown that copies of a single molecular building block can spontaneously form a complex supramolecular structure on surfaces. Writing in the journal Communications Chemistry, the researchers describe…

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