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Phys.org / Captured mid-reaction, RNA polymerase reveals universal blueprint for gene transcription

The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in gene expression, and a process fundamental to all life. But the inner workings of this essential enzyme have long baffled ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Hemp-based thermoplastic offers a greener alternative to plastic packaging

As the global pollution crisis caused by manufacturing and disposing of single-use plastics continues to grow, researchers have developed a non-toxic plastic alternative derived from the hemp plant—a non-psychoactive type ...

Apr 30, 2026
Medical Xpress / Silencing stress signals could pave the way to a longer life

Silencing a major cellular stress signal could be the key to a longer life, according to new University of Sheffield research. While previous studies suggested that mild stress might help organisms live longer, new research ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Universal patterns emerge across 22 languages, mapping how vocabularies evolve

Human languages are known to have grown and changed considerably over the course of history, often reflecting technological, cultural, and societal shifts. Studying the evolution of languages can thus offer valuable insight ...

Apr 26, 2026
Tech Xplore / Extended reality tool lets dancers analyze movement

It's been said that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Writing, or talking, about dancing can be similarly futile. A Cornell doctoral student has helped develop a tool that lets dancers use video and ...

Apr 30, 2026
Medical Xpress / Microplastics turn up in nearly every human brain sample, including healthy tissue

Tiny micro- and nanoplastic fragments seem to be turning up everywhere, including one of the most well-protected parts of the human body—the brain. In a recent study conducted by Chinese researchers, they found microplastics ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Western US is fending off more fires before they start—and still getting hit by its biggest blazes yet

The number of wildfires burning in the Western United States each year dropped roughly 28% over the past three decades, even as annual burned area and damage from wildfires have soared. A decline in fires accidentally sparked ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Deep under Antarctic ice, a long-predicted cosmic whisper finally breaks through in 13 strange bursts

A detector buried deep in Antarctic ice has captured the first experimental evidence of a predicted but never-before-seen phenomenon: radio pulses generated when high-energy cosmic rays slam into the ice sheet and trigger ...

Apr 26, 2026
Medical Xpress / Years before pregnancy, routine bloodwork may already signal which women will face one of its riskiest complications

Small abnormalities in blood sugar, blood lipids and inflammation several years before pregnancy are linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy and preeclampsia, according to a study from Karolinska ...

Apr 30, 2026
Science X / Wild parrots quickly learn to eat new foods by copying their friends

Wild parrots learn whether new types of food are safe to eat by observing other members of their social group, allowing dietary knowledge to spread rapidly through the community, according to a study by Julia Penndorf at ...

Apr 30, 2026
Medical Xpress / Disease-causing pathogen rewires gut metabolism to secure nutrients for growth, research shows

An intestinal pathogen reshapes the gut environment to fuel its own colonization and cause diseases, a multi-institutional team including researchers at Vanderbilt Health has discovered. The investigators show that enterotoxigenic ...

Apr 30, 2026
Medical Xpress / Treatment of rare childhood epilepsy could begin before birth

Research has shown early diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy disorders can improve outcomes. The question of when to administer treatment so it gets ahead of the disease, however, has remained stubbornly elusive. A new Northwestern ...

Apr 30, 2026