Phys.org news
Phys.org / Physicists observe rare nuclear isomer in ytterbium-150 for first time
Nuclear isomers are crucial probes for studying the structure of nuclei. Unlike chemical isomers—which have the same chemical formula but different arrangements of atoms—nuclear isomers are nuclei that exist in a long-lived ...
Phys.org / Bacterial strain breaks decades-old bottleneck in chemotherapy drug manufacturing
An international team of researchers has achieved a breakthrough in the production of doxorubicin, a vital chemotherapy agent. The study identifies and resolves molecular "bottlenecks" that have limited the natural production ...
Phys.org / Improperly disposed wet wipes could shed microplastics in rivers
Wet wipes conveniently clean and sanitize soiled surfaces and skin. Because some labels do not clearly indicate how consumers should dispose of them, these small cloths are often flushed down the toilet and released by sewage ...
Phys.org / Ultrasound-based approach to delivering potent drugs into cancer cells shows promise in benchtop experiments
Engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a technique that uses microbubbles and ultrasound to help relatively large cancer drugs enter tumor cells and cause them to self-destruct. Dubbed "Sonoporation-assisted Precise ...
Phys.org / Researchers realize room-temperature two-dimensional multiferroic metal
Multiferroic metals are materials that exhibit both electric polarization and magnetic order in the same crystal—a state known as multiferroicity. Because these properties coexist, they can interact through magnetoelectric ...
Phys.org / In a South Carolina swamp, researchers uncover secrets of firefly synchrony
In the middle of the old-growth forests of Congaree National Park in South Carolina, fireflies put on an otherworldly display every May. Thousands of male insects belonging to the species Photuris frontalis flash together ...
Phys.org / Can plants count? Study suggests they can track the number of events they experience
It's long been assumed that for an organism to learn, remember or draw conclusions, it needs a brain. But mounting evidence, including a recent Cognitive Science study, challenges that assumption, suggesting that neurons ...
Phys.org / Real-time protein quality control keeps cells healthy
Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a biochemical technique that captures fleeting "handshakes" between newly made proteins and the cellular helpers. These short interactions are important ...
Phys.org / From plastics to pharmaceuticals, a new discovery sparks chain reactions
After years of research, international experts have confirmed the discovery of a new chemical reaction, launching new opportunities for rapid advances in a range of fields—from recycled plastics to pharmaceuticals. In the ...
Phys.org / Safer space travel: Scientists create a cosmic ray simulator
Cosmic rays are one of the greatest challenges for space travel and pose a considerable risk to humans and materials. For the first time on European soil, an international research team in collaboration with the European ...
Phys.org / New DNA tools outperform traditional methods for detecting genetic risk in wildlife
Wildlife populations that become small and isolated, often due to habitat loss, inevitably experience inbreeding which can lead to the loss of fitness and eventual extinction. One solution is to perform a genetic rescue: ...
Phys.org / From guesswork to guidance: How machine learning speeds dopant design for water-splitting photocatalysts
MLIP calculations successfully identify suitable dopants for a novel photocatalytic material, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo. As demonstrated in their study, published in the Journal of the American ...
