Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ancient Intermountain West was once a vast sea sponge habitat

While they didn't live in a pineapple under the Phosphoria Sea, it turns out a good chunk of the prehistoric Intermountain West was once blanketed in sea sponges.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Putting less meat and more legumes in school menus reduces environmental impact by up to 50%

The transition to healthy diets with a low environmental impact is crucial to achieving sustainable food systems and reducing health problems. In this context, dietary guidelines for schools can encourage eating behaviors ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / The hidden impacts of drinking-water treatment on urban streams

Aging lead-pipe drinking water systems, along with the public health measures implemented to reduce their risks, are reshaping the chemistry and health of nearby urban streams. New research from University of Pittsburgh biogeochemists, ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Tracing mountain water to its hidden sources

In mountain regions like the Rockies, headwater streams make up more than 70% of the river network and support the downstream waterways and communities. These headwaters are also home to many forms of aquatic life. While ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Largest RNA language model to date offers new way to predict behavior and boost drug discovery

RNA plays a vital role in how our genes are expressed and how diseases develop. Yet, because RNA molecules constantly change shape, understanding how they work has long been a major scientific challenge.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Algorithms reveal how propane becomes propylene for everyday products

Countless everyday products, from plastic squeeze bottles to outdoor furniture, are derived by first turning propane into propylene.

Nov 13, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Invisible groundwater threatens aging urban infrastructure, researchers warn

Groundwater rise as a result of climate change poses a significant threat to coastal cities, says University of Rhode Island assistant professor of geosciences Christopher Russoniello. Russoniello and colleagues recently ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Which came first: The sponge or the comb jelly? Scientists weigh in

In the world of phylogenetics, there's team sponge and team comb jelly. Which creature roots the animal tree of life—the simple sponge or the more complex comb jelly—has stirred fierce debate among phylogeneticists, researchers ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Eggplant pangenome and panphenome reveal diversity and adaptation potential

An international research collaboration, including INRAE, has published the complete set of genes (pangenome) and agronomic traits (panphenome) of the eggplant. Beyond the genome, this comprehensive collection encompasses ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Mechanistic model can predict biological community development across ecosystems

Biological communities are rarely stable. Their composition is constantly changing, depending on the environmental conditions in the respective ecosystems—and sometimes this change is so vast that individual species completely ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Bacterial scents from sick oaks attract beetles that worsen tree decline

The deadly decline of Britain's native oak trees may be driven by an unexpected accomplice: their own smell.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Coastal ocean acidification advancing faster than expected, threatening local economies

New research from the University of St Andrews has found that some coastal areas will become much more acidic than previously anticipated. With added atmospheric CO2, these areas are acidifying more quickly than thought, ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth