FMI News - 10 most recent

New tool tracks a hidden protein involved in viral infection and cell cleanup

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

Ubiquitin is a small protein that usually works by attaching itself to other proteins. But it can also exist freely, on its own or in chains, and this form has been hard to study. FMI researchers and their collaborators have now developed a tool called UBiP10 that can pick out and reveal this free ubiquitin in cells and influenza A virus particles. Using it, they found that free ubiquitin gathers around protein aggregates, offering a new way to study its role in viral infection and the cell’s protein-cleanup systems.

Mapping how the brain organizes movement

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

Movement depends on brain circuits that link intention, sensation and action. A new study by Silvia Arber’s team at the FMI and the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, together with their collaborators at the Allen Institute, provides the most detailed map yet of the mouse motor cortex — a brain region involved in controlling movement. The findings could help researchers better understand conditions that affect these circuits, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and dementia.

Former FMI group leader Botond Roska receives world’s largest vision award

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

Botond Roska, a former FMI group leader and now Director of Science at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), has received the 2026 António Champalimaud Vision Award together with ophthalmologist and clinician-scientist José-Alain Sahel. The EUR 1 million prize — the world’s largest award in vision research and ophthalmology — recognizes more than two decades of research aimed at restoring sight.

Learning reshapes the brain’s map of smell

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

The brain is constantly taking in sights, sounds and smells, and learning helps it decide which ones matter. Working in zebrafish, FMI neuroscientists have found that learning to tell smells apart changed how groups of brain cells responded, making important odors easier for the brain to distinguish. This suggests that the brain may store memories by reshaping the dynamics of activity patterns across many cells, rather than relying on one fixed pattern, so important information is easier to recognize.

FMI Science Prizes — winners 2026

Wed, 9 Sep 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

The FMI has announced the winners of its 2026 internal science prizes, recognizing achievements in creative thinking, an outstanding PhD thesis, and an exceptional postdoc study. The prizes are being presented during the FMI Annual Meeting, held from September 7–9 on the Novartis Campus in Basel, where the FMI’s scientific community is gathering with colleagues from Novartis and members of the institute’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Following the science into industry

Wed, 2 Sep 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

For many postdoctoral researchers, the end of a fellowship brings a familiar question: academia or industry? Mario Iurlaro approached the decision differently. He wanted to continue doing research, and staying in Basel was an important consideration. Today, at Novartis Biomedical Research, he leads a research laboratory and oncology drug discovery projects — an example of how scientific curiosity can thrive in an industrial setting.

A cell-motility pathway helps set the pace of embryo development

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

A molecular pathway known for controlling cell shape and movement also helps regulate the rhythm by which the vertebrate body is divided into repeated segments, FMI researchers report. The work links cell behavior to the segmentation clock that guides the formation of vertebrae and other tissues, and may help explain developmental conditions involving congenital spinal malformations.

FMI researcher awarded prestigious Ambizione grant

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

Postdoctoral fellow Agata Misiaszek has received an Ambizione grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) to study how neurons control protein production and how faults in this process may contribute to fragile X syndrome and related neurodevelopmental conditions.

A small molecular module helps time development

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

Animal development depends on precise biological timing. FMI scientists have now uncovered a mechanism that helps keep this process on schedule. Their work in the tiny worm C. elegans shows that LIN28, a protein linked to stem cells and differentiation, can coordinate major developmental transitions through just two key targets.

Forgotten memories can leave silent traces in the brain

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

A forgotten memory is not always a vanished one. FMI neuroscientists investigating the fruit fly brain found that some memories become inaccessible while leaving a silent trace behind. The right reminder can bring them back, but misleading reminders can distort their recovery, producing false memories. The findings show how memories can be rebuilt from stored information and current clues, which may help explain why recall can sometimes alter what we remember.

Hydra rebuilds the body by restoring its internal cellular map

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

Before Hydra can regrow a head or foot, its cells appear to rebuild the internal map that tells them where they are and what they should become next, FMI researchers report. The work suggests that cells need to interpret not only where they are in the body, but also what stage of regeneration they are in — a finding that could help explain how tissues regenerate after injury.

How the gut rebuilds order after injury

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

FMI researchers and their collaborators have shown how regenerating intestinal tissue turns small initial differences between cells into stable patterns. The findings reveal a general principle for how tissues rebuild order after injury, with possible implications for regenerative medicine.

How cells keep genomic hitchhikers under control

Wed, 8 Jul 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

Much of the genome is made up of repetitive DNA sequences that trace back to ancient mobile elements, many of which have lost their ability to copy themselves into new locations but can still cause problems if they become active again at the wrong time. Now, two studies from FMI scientists reveal how cells keep these potentially disruptive genetic elements under control. The researchers found that a protein complex called ChAHP acts as a targeted genome-defense system, preventing the transcription machinery from switching on these elements in mouse cells. The findings offer insight into how cells manage repetitive sequences while protecting genome stability.

Siva Ratnakar Immadi: Proteins, poetry, and creative spaces

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

In this Q&A, Siva Ratnakar Immadi, a PhD student in the Diss group and one of FMI’s PhD representatives, reflects on his fascination with the molecular world, his work on protein interactions, and the role of creativity and community in science.

Jeff Chao’s group awarded €2.5m ERC grant to study RNA in living cells

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00 +0100 CET

FMI senior group leader Jeff Chao and his team have been awarded €2.5 million through the prestigious European Research Council Advanced Grant scheme to study how RNA controls gene expression in living cells, with the goal of uncovering fundamental principles of RNA biology. The work could help understand how errors in these processes may contribute to neurodegeneration and muscle disease. Coincidentally, Chao, who also holds a teaching position at the University of Basel, is giving his habilitation lecture there today, marking another important milestone in his academic career.