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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...