An architectural gem and cutting-edge research facility in Basel

ETH Zurich’s new BSS teaching and research building on the Schällemätteli life science campus in Basel will officially open its doors today. The building will host researchers from the fields of experimental biology, bioinformatics, and bioengineering as they work together with outside partners on innovative medical solutions.

Advancing personalised, data-driven medicine

Both the new infrastructure and the physical proximity offered by the new building should help accelerate the translation of research insights from biology into real-world applications in medicine. researchers in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering bring a unique combination of expertise in bioengineering, data analysis and bioinformatics to the location in Basel. "By now we understand pretty well how cells and cellular systems work and how they can be manipulated," says Panke. "The next step is applying this knowledge for therapeutic purposes."

A robust network in Basel

researchers are already working together with University Hospital Basel to pinpoint the origins of bladder cancer, for instance, and have also joined forces with researchers from the University of Basel to develop bacteria that deliver information about intestinal health. The latter project, which is being conducted at the Basel Research Centre for Child Health, is intended to help improve the effectiveness of healthcare measures for children in the Global South.

ETH also works closely with the pharmaceutical industry in Basel. In a joint project with the Roche Institute of Human Biology, scientists from ETH are developing personalised treatment methods that could be used for pancreatic cancer - to name just one example. ETH has also been working together with Roche to launch a joint research and education programme that will start educating doctoral and postdoctoral students over the coming years.