Phys.org news
Phys.org / New AI tool identifies wild animals by their unique patterns in real time
Patterns reveal the individual: A novel AI algorithm equips researchers with a powerful new tool to accurately identify individual jaguars, zebras and giraffes in real time based on their unique coat patterns. Biologists ...
Phys.org / Four-decade mystery solved as PKCβ structure reveals new drug target
After nearly four decades of research, Mayo Clinic scientists have revealed the molecular structure of protein kinase C beta (PKCβ), a key protein linked to cancer and neurological diseases. The findings, published in Nature ...
Phys.org / Discovery of how cells maintain their DNA could shield key healthy cells from chemotherapy side effects
A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Sheffield in collaboration with researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center in the U.S. has found a protein that could help guide which cells chemotherapies target. ...
Phys.org / Controlling ice crystal growth using polymer nanoparticles
Ice formation can damage biological samples, tissues and materials during freezing and thawing. In nature, specialized molecules known as ice-binding proteins prevent ice crystals from growing too large, helping organisms ...
Phys.org / Plant protein pair reveals new wood-formation mechanism
Researchers from the Biosciences Department at Durham University have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps plants control the formation of wood, a finding that could open new directions for research into plant ...
Phys.org / Local species trends may flag global extinction risk, global study finds
New research from the University of St. Andrews has shown that higher extinction risk is associated with a higher frequency of decreasing local prevalence of species, in an analysis of one of the most comprehensive long-term ...
Phys.org / Sawdust, cellulose binders and beeswax combine into eco-friendly foam
Polystyrene—common in packing peanuts and box inserts—is manufactured from fossil fuels. To develop a sustainable alternative, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Polymer Materials tested an unconventional starting material: ...
Phys.org / Symbiotic partner-swapping or long-term fidelity? Partnership success between beetles and bacteria revealed
Some insects and microbes develop symbiotic partnerships that become so interdependent they can no longer survive without each other. But how specific are these heritable symbioses? Is it possible for the same species of ...
Phys.org / Unique instruments automate sample preparation, quality control for cryo-electron microscopy
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can help scientists determine the three-dimensional structure of proteins in unprecedented detail. Jacques Dubochet, former group leader at EMBL, shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry ...
Phys.org / DNA loops reveal how immune cells build millions of antibodies from one genome
How does your body produce millions of antibodies from one genome? New research reveals how two closely related proteins help immune cells fold DNA, connecting distant genetic pieces to create diverse antibodies that help ...
Phys.org / Zebrafish and fruit flies share the same internal compass mechanism in a case of convergent evolution
Even in darkness, many animals retain a sense of orientation because their nervous system sustains a memory of heading encoded by the activity of head-direction (HD) cells. Animals continuously update this internal compass ...
Phys.org / Our ovary blueprint is ancient, according to sea stars
At first glance, bat sea stars, the nubbly, orange, many-footed creatures often found on the seafloor, seem about as far from humans as one can get. Appearances can be deceiving, however. Scientists have found evidence showing ...
