Phys.org news

Phys.org / Mapping cell development with mathematics-informed machine learning

The development of humans and other animals unfolds gradually over time, with cells taking on specific roles and functions via a process called cell fate determination. The fate of individual cells, or in other words, what ...

12 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Brewing possibilities: Using caffeine to edit gene expression

What if a cup of coffee could help treat cancer? Researchers at the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology believe it's possible. By combining caffeine with the use of CRISPR—a gene-editing tool known ...

6 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Spider monkeys pool their knowledge to find the best fruit

When spider monkeys want to tell others about the best fruit trees in the forest or ones they've missed, they do so by changing their social groups to share what they know, according to a new study published in the journal ...

7 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Changes to cougar diets and behaviors reduce their competition with wolves in Yellowstone, study finds

A new study shows that interactions between wolves and cougars in Yellowstone National Park are driven by wolves stealing prey killed by cougars and that shifts in cougar diets to smaller prey help them avoid wolf encounters. ...

8 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / High-resolution map shows dark matter's gravity pulled normal matter into galaxies

Scientists have created the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through the universe—showing its influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets.

12 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How starfish control tube feet without a central nervous system or brain

Starfish, also known as sea stars, are equipped with an almost alien-like anatomy. Despite lacking a brain, blood, and central nervous system, these odd creatures still have locomotive abilities. The structure of their many ...

10 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Aging populations could cut global water use by up to 31%, study finds

Across the world, water scarcity is emerging as one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. Climate change is pushing rivers and aquifers into unprecedented extremes, droughts and floods are intensifying, and ...

11 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Mighty microscopic fibers are the key to cell division and life itself

Every second, millions of cells in your body divide in two. In the space of an hour, they duplicate their DNA and grow a web of protein fibers around it called a spindle. The spindle extends its many fibers from the chromosomes ...

6 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Toothbrush-activated powder whitens, repairs and protects teeth

Even with regular brushing, teeth can become stained from genetic factors or consuming foods and drinks like tomatoes and coffee. Chemical whiteners can help, but they can also damage teeth in the process. So, researchers ...

7 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / The shape of things to come: How spheroid geometry guides multicellular orbiting and invasion

As organisms develop from embryos, groups of cells migrate and reshape themselves to form all manner of complex tissues. There are no anatomical molds shaped like lungs, livers or other tissues for cells to grow into. Rather, ...

6 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Microgravity rewires microbial metabolism, limiting space-based manufacturing efficiency

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have completed a spaceflight biology investigation aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that reveals how microgravity fundamentally alters microbial metabolism, ...

7 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / In polar regions, microbes are influencing climate change as frozen ecosystems thaw

Microbes across Earth's coldest regions are becoming more active as glaciers, permafrost and sea ice thaw, accelerating carbon release and potentially amplifying climate change, according to a new international review from ...

7 hours ago in Biology