Phys.org news

Phys.org / A new fruit wash removes pesticides and extends shelf life

University of British Columbia researchers have developed a natural, biodegradable wash that removed up to 96% of pesticide residue from fruit and slowed browning and moisture loss. This could mean safer apples, grapes and ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Cracking a 16-year proton mystery as ultra-precise hydrogen measurements confirm a smaller-than-expected core

The simplicity of a hydrogen atom makes it an ideal model for studying atomic structure and interactions. Yet, despite the fact that its simplest form consists of only one proton and one electron, physicists have had a hard ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Self-interacting dark matter may solve three cosmic puzzles

A study led by UC Riverside physicist Hai-Bo Yu suggests that a new type of dark matter could explain three astrophysical puzzles across vastly different environments. Published in Physical Review Letters, the study proposes ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / A tabletop ring of atoms brings the universe's doomsday vacuum collapse into the lab

Physicists in China have simulated the effect of "false vacuum decay": a phenomenon believed to play out constantly in the seemingly empty expanses of space, and which one theory even suggests could bring an abrupt end to ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Low-cost robotic chemistry system can be built and deployed in any lab

In a paper just out in Nature Synthesis, researchers led by Prof. Timothy Noël of the University of Amsterdam's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences presented a breakthrough in autonomous laboratory systems for synthesis ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / New 'molecular handle' uses common amino acid to build complex medicines

In a new study published in Nature Communications, a team of chemists has unveiled a radically simple way to attach a highly sought-after "molecular handle," known as the dichloromethyl group, onto complex compounds. Instead ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Compact CRISPR system unlocks targeted in-body gene editing, with up to 90% efficiency

A research team has discovered an enhanced CRISPR gene-editing system that could enable targeted delivery inside the human body—a key step toward broader clinical use. Researchers identified a naturally occurring enzyme, ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / In Arizona's desert, tiny ants turn into living hygienists, climbing inside bigger ants' mandibles and cleaning them

Ants are known for many things. They fight, bite and sometimes compete for every crumb. We can now possibly add cleaning services to that list, according to a study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Scottish Neolithic tombs were used to trace kinship—including descent, DNA analysis reveals

Archaeologists have investigated genetic relationships between individuals buried in Neolithic chambered tombs in northern Scotland, suggesting monumental tombs may have been physical embodiments of prehistoric kinship, tracing ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Protein clusters reshape cell movement and may help cells build amino acids faster

Cells can be thought of as cities, with factories, a transport system, and lots of building activity. An international team led by scientists at the University of Groningen studied cells growing under different conditions ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Satellites reveal city methane emissions are rising faster than official estimates

Urban emissions of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—are rising faster than bottom-up accounting estimates anticipated, according to a study led by University of Michigan Engineering. The discrepancy was found with satellite ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Video shows that sunbirds suck, while hummingbirds don't

Two unrelated groups of nectar eaters, hummingbirds and sunbirds, have evolved different techniques to slurp the sweet liquid from flowers. The tongue suctioning employed by sunbirds is unique among vertebrates, according ...

7 hours ago