Phys.org news
Phys.org / Time-evolving polymer recreates nature's signature twist
Science has long taken inspiration from the natural world, and few natural designs are as iconic as the helical shape that makes life possible. The best-known example of such a molecule is DNA, a double helix that carries ...
Phys.org / Location, location, location: How the Nile helped an ancient Sudanese city thrive for centuries
The ancient city of Napata, located in what is now Sudan, was a major urban and cultural center of Kush, an ancient empire in Nubia. University of Michigan archaeologists and earth scientists examined the land underlying ...
Phys.org / Detailed DNA repair snapshots reveal how BRCA-linked cancer cells may survive
Scientists have captured the most detailed structural images to date of a specific type of protein's DNA repair process, a finding that could reveal ways to inhibit the effects of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that heighten the ...
Phys.org / Small differences in cell structures called microtubules determine how well cancer drug performs
A research team from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has uncovered the mechanism underlying how cancer patients respond to a widely used cancer drug, ...
Phys.org / CRISPR untangles five-gene protein that helps plants grow in early stages
For most of their lives, plants get their energy from photosynthesis. But during the seed to seedling stage, when they can't absorb light just yet, they rely on other sources, like fatty acids. To process the fatty acids, ...
Phys.org / Amazon safeguards cut deforestation but miss rising forest degradation threat
Antonio has spent the past seven years running toward fires that most others run from. A firefighter in the Brazilian Amazon since 2019, he works inside the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, one of the most biodiverse places ...
Phys.org / Atomic map reveals how Leptospira bacteria flip virulence switch inside hosts
During infection, pathogens must adapt quickly to the conditions to thrive inside the body. A research team at the University of Basel, Switzerland, has uncovered how a key protein switches on the machinery that enables Leptospira ...
Phys.org / Self-powered fibers can spot oil contamination and heat buildup within milliseconds
Oil spills and fires are two very different hazards, but both can cause major damage before people have time to react. Oil contamination can spread quickly across water and harm marine ecosystems, while undetected heat buildup ...
Phys.org / A host of positive 'tipping points' can regenerate nature
A host of positive "tipping points" can spark rapid nature recovery, a leading expert says. Action to protect and restore nature must accelerate radically to meet global goals for 2030 and beyond. Writing in the journal Nature ...
Phys.org / New self-assembling polymers proven to be effective at gene delivery
A collaboration of scientists at the University of Manchester and the University of Birmingham has explored a more effective and less toxic way of delivering genetic material into cells, a challenge central to areas such ...
Phys.org / Tandem superflare observations reveal origin of the stellar Fe Kα line
The Fe Kα line, or iron Kα line, is often used in astronomical research to understand the physical composition of astronomical objects. This line is produced when a K-shell electron of an iron ion in the photosphere—the gas ...
Phys.org / How bacteria circumvent plants' immune system
How are bacterial pathogens able to effectively overcome plants' defense mechanisms? Researchers working with Professor Şuayb Üstün at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have found a surprising answer to this question: The ...
