Phys.org news
Phys.org / Strain turns non-chiral crystals left- or right-handed on demand
Mechanical strain is one of the most common tools used to tailor the properties of materials. In piezoelectric materials, stretching or compressing a crystal generates an electrical polarization. In piezomagnetic materials, ...
Phys.org / Mosquitoes are rapidly activating enzymes against common insecticide, researchers warn
Traditionally, public health programs have relied on chemicals for mosquito management, which may be why combating mosquitoes is becoming more difficult. Over time, insecticides trigger biochemical and genetic variations ...
Phys.org / Kitchen cling film helps build centimeter-scale ultrathin electronics and optics
As materials become thinner—now reaching the thickness of single atoms—it has become increasingly difficult to create sufficiently large sheets and transfer them without cracking them into tiny flakes. Recent work by a broad ...
Phys.org / Beyond wrinkles: New rule explains why growing shapes suddenly crumple
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown law of geometry that explains why some growing surfaces, whether in nature or in engineered materials, suddenly stop being able to stay smooth and instead form dimples and folds. ...
Phys.org / In seconds, fiber optic cables detect earthquake size
Scientists have discovered a new way to determine how big an earthquake may become just seconds after it begins. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Cal ...
Phys.org / Icelandic fish 'hot tubs' reveal genetic adaptations to warming—and unexpected overeating
New research, led by the University of Glasgow reveals that adaptation to warmer waters causes fish to display a range of behavioral and biological differences, including obesity, overeating and lower metabolism.
Phys.org / Gene discovery could shave years off avocado breeding
Scientists have found a genetic switch that could shave years off avocado breeding by allowing researchers to identify one of a young tree's most important traits long before it flowers.
Phys.org / Flexible DNA directs proteins into atomically ordered crystals, overturning crystallization assumptions
For decades, scientists have largely relied on painstaking trial and error to coax proteins into crystalline forms. Crystallization enables scientists to determine the molecular structures of proteins, which can provide a ...
Phys.org / Lake ice loss could accelerate after winter temperatures cross critical thresholds
For lakes across the Northern Hemisphere, winter ice is more than a frozen surface. It is a seasonal regulator that shapes underwater ecosystems and energy balance. But as the planet warms, this frozen season is disappearing ...
Phys.org / Trees and microbes team up to improve nitrogen nutrient processes in higher CO₂ conditions
Forest trees growing in air containing higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) radically change the way they "cycle" nitrogen, a key plant nutrient, with implications for forests as a nature-based climate solution.
Phys.org / Oil beetle larvae smell like flowers to manipulate bees and sneak into their nests
For the first time, a research team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, has demonstrated that insects can mimic floral scents to manipulate pollinators.
Phys.org / Finding order in the inner chaos of our cells: Shape-shifting proteins get a design tool
The vast majority of proteins in our bodies contain regions that are in a constant state of wiggling, shape-shifting every few nanoseconds to completely change how they look. Information on how these shape-shifting proteins ...
