Phys.org news
Phys.org / It looks like rice's own defense, but this fungal trick turns a lifesaving response into a crop-killing weapon
For about half the global population, rice is the staple food. Yet every year, a fungal disease—rice blast—destroys harvests that could feed 60 million people. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have ...
Phys.org / Tiny sesame sea slug species discovered in the waters of northern Taiwan
Translucent, speckled, and barely the size of a grain of rice, a new species of sea slug has been identified in the coastal waters of Keelung, Taiwan. Because of its minute size and distinctive black and yellow markings, ...
Phys.org / Heat stress linked to higher koala hospitalizations and deaths above 27 C
New research from the University of Sydney has provided the first associative link between heat stress and koala mortality. Published in Biology Letters, the results highlight how even moderate temperature rises can increase ...
Phys.org / Protein shape mapping could detect diseases before symptoms appear
A University of Mississippi professor and his team have developed a technology that may one day lead to the early diagnosis of juvenile diabetes and CTE caused by traumatic brain injuries. The technology allows researchers ...
Phys.org / Unsealing cells' 'black box' strategy to regulate gene activation
While scientists have known for more than two decades that all cells use a strategy called RNA interference to regulate gene expression, a new study is the first to describe how a specific protein manages the step-by-step ...
Phys.org / Tropical butterflies 'hedge bets' on reproduction as extreme seasons reshape Amazon life
New research from Queen Mary University of London shows how extreme seasonal patterns are causing rainforest butterflies to adapt their reproductive strategies at a rapid pace, with implications for species resilience under ...
Phys.org / After the fires: Protecting LA's trees while learning lessons for the future
Southern California is emerging from yet another round of wildfires just as the wildfire season gets underway. It's been less than 18 months since catastrophic wildfires hit the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
Phys.org / Microcrystals in bioluminescent fish scatter light like a prism
Approximately 75% of marine organisms are bioluminescent, with specialized light-emitting organs called photophores. They use the light they produce for various purposes, like attracting mates, luring prey, or confusing predators.
Phys.org / Metal-free method unlocks selective carborane editing for cancer therapy and sensors
Carboranes are molecules composed of carbon, boron and hydrogen atoms that are proving to have applications of great interest in chemistry, materials science and biomedicine. They are being used, for example, in the fight ...
Phys.org / 'Butterfly' molecule spotted at last, completing a 20-year quantum zoo hunt
For two decades, physicists have predicted the existence of a remarkable family of exotic molecules: giant atoms bound to ordinary atoms, with an electron so distant from its nucleus that it sculpts the pair into bizarre ...
Phys.org / Hydrogen puts quantum wormhole conjecture to the test
A new Physical Review Letters study places constraints on the ER = EPR conjecture, showing that under the authors' assumptions, the conjecture would imply possible alterations to the hyperfine structure and effective charge ...
Phys.org / Chaos after queen loss reveals the wasps that keep colonies running
When the loss of a queen wasp triggers a power struggle and social turmoil, colonies can survive the upheaval thanks to helpful wasps that pick up the slack, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
