Phys.org news

Phys.org / What's for dinner? Tooth enamel reveals what early Mesopotamians really ate

We can learn a great deal about the lives and social structures of civilizations thousands of years ago by studying what they ate. While actual food remains are few and far between, scientists can reconstruct ancient menus ...

26 minutes ago
Phys.org / Overlooked microbial network may drive methane production in the seafloor

Deep below the surface in coastal sediments, microorganisms use conductive particles as tiny natural "wires" to exchange electrons. This enables them to convert organic carbon into methane in a way not previously documented. ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Alternative pathways in proteasome biogenesis deciphered

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Potsdam and the University of Cologne has deciphered the step-by-step assembly of the eukaryotic proteasome. Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells have a clearly ...

46 minutes ago
Phys.org / A tiny protein tweak, finally traceable: How light-based tagging targets pyroglutamate

Amino acids are like Lego blocks—they can be linked together to form complex structures called proteins. Unlike Legos, however, there are only 20 different types of amino acids available to build a protein. Proteins depend ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / New imaging technique maps membrane lipids in 3D at nanoscale

Biological membranes of cells and their subunits (organelles) are organized into tiny regions (nanodomains) made up of fats (lipids) and proteins. Those specialized regions carry out important tasks for the cell, such as ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Belt-like VO₂(B) single crystals unlock high-sensitivity gas detection at room temperature

An international research team has successfully synthesized oriented belt-shaped vanadium dioxide (VO2(B)) single crystals via a hydrothermal reduction method, using one-dimensional vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanofibers as ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Satellite-driven model provides 'more realistic and reliable' predictions of sand and dust storm emissions

The technology used to predict sand and dust storm (SDS) severity has for decades systematically overestimated when and where sediment is transported across Earth's surface, a new study shows. Existing models, which draw ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Highly and casually active citizen scientists contribute equally valuable data

The word "nemotia" is a neologism, a newly coined term that in this case, describes the sense of overwhelmingness and disconnect accompanying the thought that nothing you do will ever make a difference. If this describes ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Genomic test could help stop destructive Asian spongy moth in its tracks

Invasive species cost Canada billions of dollars each year. Now, a team led by UBC researchers has developed a new genomic test that can trace the Asian spongy moth—one of the biggest threats to North America's forests—back ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Continued monitoring of sunken Soviet submarine shows ongoing radioactive leakage, but little impact

In 1989, the Soviet nuclear-powered attack submarine Komsomolets sank to the bottom of the Norwegian Sea, along with its nuclear reactor and two nuclear warheads onboard. Komsomolets was constructed with a titanium alloy ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Gray-box' AI reveals why catalysts work while speeding discovery

Self-driving laboratories (SDLs) powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly accelerating materials discovery, but can they also explain their results? Researchers from the Theory Department of the Fritz Haber Institute, ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Single-cell imaging and machine learning reveal hidden coordination in algae's response to light stress

Researchers from several Parisian institutions have worked together to develop a non-destructive approach to study how unicellular organisms respond to stress, focusing on cell-to-cell differences. Working together, the researchers ...

2 hours ago