03.02.2011

DNA Mandalas

Mandalas are symbolic illustrations in Hinduism and Buddhism that have been created for religious purposes for many thousands of years. The circular patterns - "mandala" is a Sanskrit word meaning circle - are mainly known from colouring books in our part of the world. Now they have found their place in molecular biology. more01.09.2010

Simplified Search for Antibiotics

A new type of sensor with unprecedented sensitivity has led scientists supported by the SNSF to new insights into the behaviour of bacteria: the concentration of a messenger determines whether bacteria move freely as individual cells or live in communities that form biofilms resistant to antibiotics. The ability to measure the levels of this messenger in individual living bacterial cells should boost the search for new antibiotics. more01.01.2008

Changes at the National Research Council of the SNSF

At its December 2007 meeting, the board of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Council elected the steering committee of the National Research Council for the term of office 2008-2011. Dieter Imboden will continue as President of the National Research Council. New to the committee are the representatives of the committees of the specialist commissions. The newly constituted steering committee will start its work in April 2008. more