Phys.org news
Phys.org / Fast-moving droplets synthesize key drug compounds at room temperature, no catalysts needed
Chemical reactions are the backbone to nearly all biological processes, including those used to make new medicines. However, these reactions can often take considerable time and require harsh conditions or materials—potentially ...
Phys.org / Why dirty farm plastic matters: Cleaner mulch film could cut landfill waste and fossil fuel use
Nearly a billion pounds of plastic film mulch is used in American agriculture each year, and most of it is dumped into landfills. New research from Washington State University shows that recycling could be a feasible alternative, ...
Phys.org / Enzymes that assemble into droplets can speed up cellular reactions, biologists find
Within the past decade, biologists have discovered that one strategy cells use to keep their contents organized is a phenomenon known as phase separation. Similar to the way oil forms droplets that float in a vinegar solution, ...
Phys.org / Eight metabolic niches reveal how ocean microbes recycle carbon worldwide
The ocean is full of invisible workers. Trillions of microbes quietly break down carbon-containing organic matter, which helps to regulate Earth's climate. But scientists have long struggled to understand how different microbes ...
Phys.org / Low-cost method uncovers conical intersections that steer light-driven molecular reactions
Conical intersections are crucial molecular switching points in light-driven reactions, but accurately predicting them usually requires computations. A researcher from Shibaura Institute of Technology has developed a new ...
Phys.org / Two decades of data show that climate change is transforming Biscayne Bay to be warmer, saltier and more acidic
Climate change and sea level rise are altering the chemistry of Biscayne Bay in ways that could threaten South Florida's coastal ecosystems, water resources, fisheries, and recreation, according to a study led by scientists ...
Phys.org / Wounds may trigger 'aged' cells within hours, reshaping how senescence starts
What if a process we associate with aging actually helps the body heal? A study led by Mikolaj Ogrodnik, LBI Trauma, published in Nature Cell Biology, shows that cells enter a state of senescence within minutes to hours after ...
Phys.org / Ancient land plant reveals the evolution of a 400‑million‑year‑old UV‑B protection system
Sunlight provides the energy necessary for photosynthesis and growth, but it also exposes plants to harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Plants must therefore strike a delicate balance between growth and protection. By ...
Phys.org / From hybrids to 'virgin birth,' stick insects reveal stepwise loss of sex
The evolution of sex remains one of biology's greatest puzzles. While sexual reproduction dominates across the animal kingdom, scientists still debate why it persists despite its high costs. Even more mysterious is the loss ...
Phys.org / Researchers discover how to turn one germ's drug resistance into an Achilles' heel
Decades of reliance on the antibiotic rifampicin have fueled the rise of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). But as the bacterium mutates to protect itself from the drug, it also creates new weak points that ...
Phys.org / Better math discriminates exotic from classical materials
The planar Hall effect is a tabletop diagnostic tool for special quantum properties useful in basic research and technological applications. Or so it was thought, because careful calculation by Kobe University researchers ...
Phys.org / Space station dust maps slash climate uncertainty over iron-rich particles
New research from a team of scientists led by Cornell is transforming how researchers understand one of the atmosphere's most abundant and least understood constituents: mineral dust.
