Phys.org news
Phys.org / Chloroplast map reveals 'missing link' in plant growth and solar energy
For decades, science has understood the basics of photosynthesis, the process by which plants turn sunlight into food. However, photosynthesis occurs on uniquely specialized membranes that we have only begun to understand. ...
Phys.org / Nature's 'master painters': Study reveals how damselflies break optical barriers to create saturated colors
Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have uncovered for the first time the "ingenious" biological strategies that allow blue-tailed damselflies to produce strikingly vivid, angle-independent colors. The ...
Phys.org / Scientists uncover RNA's hidden role as protein chaperone
Proteins are how cells get work done. They carry out nearly every important cellular task, from ferrying messages to controlling which genes are turned on or off. And in order for proteins to perform their various roles, ...
Phys.org / Hardy ice plant's optical innovation inspires reflective design possibilities
Nature is filled with remarkable visual phenomena created by microscopic surface structures that interact with light in fascinating ways. The iridescent wings of butterflies, the shimmering feathers of birds and the glossy ...
Phys.org / Why are sloths slow? It's in their DNA
Sloths are the slowest mammals on the planet, but living in dense jungles has made them notoriously difficult to study. For the first time, scientists have now sequenced and analyzed the two-toed sloth genome and revealed ...
Phys.org / MeerKAT reveals three electron acceleration sites in one solar flare
Solar flares are the most explosive energy-release events in the solar corona, leading to intense particle acceleration, plasma heating and bulk plasma motions on short timescales. Core questions during solar flares remain ...
Phys.org / Q&A: Combating antibiotic resistance with nanotechnology, robotics and AI
Aeron Tynes Hammack, a physicist by training and currently interim facility director of the Nanofabrication Facility at the Molecular Foundry, likes to work with nanoscale objects to better understand the world and solve ...
Phys.org / 'Seismic champagne effect' may explain why fires break out long after earthquakes
Following the devastating urban fire that broke out in Wajima City after Japan's 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, investigators struggled to identify a clear ignition source, despite widespread destruction and unusual reports ...
Phys.org / New warning system forecasts wildlife heat risk up to nine months ahead
An international group of scientists led by Josep M. Serra-Diaz, researcher at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-MCNB), has developed the first global early warning system capable of forecasting when and where ...
Phys.org / These underwater 'living pink rocks' help store carbon: Scientists just found four new species
Rhodoliths may look like small rocks on the seafloor, but they are actually living algae that create habitats for marine life and contribute to long-term carbon storage. A new study found that the deeper, low-light waters ...
Phys.org / Savanna chimpanzees use tools for capturing and feeding on army ants, study shows
Chimpanzees are the only great apes, apart from humans, that have adapted to living on savannas as well as in forests. However, it is not yet well understood how the harsh ecological conditions of the savanna—compared with ...
Phys.org / Breaking tunnel vision, imaging AI lifts fluorescence image restoration accuracy and speed
Recent years have witnessed great advances in applying deep learning to improve fluorescence microscopy imaging. However, enhancing the fidelity of image restoration networks and improving their robustness under fluorescence ...