Phys.org news
Phys.org / Mice actively seek better views to make visual decisions, virtual reality experiments show
Animals don't experience the world passively. A hawk tilts its head to track prey. A person leans forward to read a sign. Scientists call this "active sensing": moving the body to gather better information. A specific version ...
Phys.org / Camouflaging snails change color in the rain
How does a stripy tree snail hide from hungry birds? The Hypselostyla camelopardalis from the Philippines and Reinia variegata from Japan have both evolved a form of dynamic camouflage to survive. Their light-colored patterns ...
Phys.org / Loss of DNA protector gene exposes vulnerabilities in cancerous cells
Every time a cell copies its DNA, parts of the genome are exposed and vulnerable to damage or errors. Molecular biologist Simon Boulton is interested in how cells spot and repair damage to their DNA, and what happens if this ...
Phys.org / 'Atomic zoom' brings gum disease bacteria into sharp focus
The technology at the center of the growing "resolution revolution" has again shown its value to scientists at Yale by revealing the secrets of gum disease.
Phys.org / Jellyfish reveal rapid repair system behind scar-free healing
A decade ago this summer, at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Jocelyn Malamy watched jellyfish cells "walk" toward each other to close a wound for the first time. An associate professor of molecular genetics and cell biology ...
Phys.org / Black locust deploys peptides to steer root bacteria into nitrogen fixation
Plants need nitrogen to grow. Many legumes meet this need through a symbiotic relationship: They harbor bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen and make it available to the plant. Until now, it was largely unclear how a perennial ...
Phys.org / How cricket mothers control the developmental timing of their offspring
Diapause is a fascinating form of biological dormancy employed by a broad array of animals as a survival strategy to endure adverse environmental conditions. To overcome the problems associated with seasons that are unsuitable ...
Phys.org / New findings on how malaria parasites invade human cells yield proof of concept for new antimalarial drug
For nearly half a century, scientists have known that malaria parasites force their way into human red blood cells through a ring-shaped structure called the moving junction. What no one could work out was what it actually ...
Phys.org / The invasive fern that science misidentified for decades
Salvinia molesta can double its biomass in 36 hours. It spreads across ponds, lakes and slow-moving waterways in a smothering green mat, blocking sunlight, consuming oxygen and collapsing the ecosystems beneath it. Now present ...
Phys.org / Why some wolves react more strongly to trespassers: Breeders may hold key to scent-based barriers
Wolves use their urine to communicate with each other. A recent study looked at the reactions of a pack to the marking of an intruder. This is a first step toward understanding what attracts or repels canids.
Phys.org / New way to clean up environmental pollution using phage bioaugmentation
The ability of bacteria to remove pollutants from soil, water, mine waste and other environments could be supercharged by a "friendly" compatible virus, according to a study led by Flinders University. The new insights, published ...
Phys.org / Arabian Sea sediments reveal summer and winter monsoons shifted differently after last ice age
High-resolution sediment analyses from the Arabian Sea reveal, for the first time, that summer and winter monsoons respond differently to global climate change. The study enhances understanding of past precipitation patterns ...
