Signs and symbols are intended to provide orientation in public spaces. Once we-ve understood their message, we take note of it and usually think no more of it. It's worth taking a closer look, however, as these signs influence the way we live together. Edina Krompák and Stephan Meyer of the University of Basel aim to raise awareness of this aspect, especially in an educational context.

Very thin wires made of a topological insulator could enable highly stable qubits, the building blocks of future quantum computers. Scientists see a new result in topological insulator devices as an important step towards realizing the technology's potential.

Everyone wants to stay fit and healthy as they grow old. But as we age, our body degrades, our muscles shrink and strength declines. Some older people suffer from excessive muscle loss, a condition known as sarcopenia. University of Basel researchers show that a combination therapy could delay the onset of sarcopenia.

The diagnosis is rare, but devastating - children with congenital muscle disorders often never learn to walk. Until now, there was no chance of recovery, but researchers at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel are now presenting a possible therapeutic approach for the first time.

The cerebral cortex is thought to be the seat of conscious processing in the brain. Rather than being inactivated, specific cells in the cortex show higher spontaneous activity during general anesthesia than when awake, and this activity is synchronized across those cortical cells. Improving our understanding of the neuronal mechanisms of general anesthesia could lead to better anesthetic drugs and improved surgical outcomes.

Some breast tumors with certain genetic alterations are difficult to treat using existing therapies. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered an approach that involves a toxic combination with a second target gene in order to kill the abnormal cells. The first clinical trials could be starting soon.

Our blood vessels must remain sealed to prevent blood leakage. During blood vessel formation vascular cells are able to reinforce their cell junctions by employing a specific protein when exposed to great forces, University of Basel scientists report.

Quantum bits (qubits) are the smallest units of information in a quantum computer. Currently, one of the biggest challenges in developing this kind of powerful computer is scalability. A research group at the University of Basel, working with the IBM Research Laboratory in Rüschlikon, has made a breakthrough in this area.