Phys.org news
Phys.org / First human DNA-cutting enzyme that senses physical tension discovered
An international research team has identified a human protein, ANKLE1, as the first DNA-cutting enzyme (nuclease) in mammals capable of detecting and responding to physical tension in DNA. This "tension-sensing" mechanism ...
Phys.org / The surprising culprit limiting the abundance of Earth's largest land animals
Humans live in a world abundant in salt, but this everyday seasoning is a luxury for wild herbivores, and it's far from clear how these animals get enough.
Phys.org / From light to logic: Ultrafast quantum switching in 2D materials
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay have found a way to use light to control and read tiny quantum states inside atom-thin materials. The simple technique could pave the way for computers that are dramatically ...
Phys.org / Climate extremes trigger rare coral disease and mass mortality on the Great Barrier Reef
University of Sydney marine biologists have identified a devastating combination of coral bleaching and a rare necrotic wasting disease that wiped out large, long-lived corals on the Great Barrier Reef during the record 2024 ...
Phys.org / How oxygen first reached Earth's oceans
For roughly 2 billion years of Earth's early history, the atmosphere contained no oxygen, the essential ingredient required for complex life. Oxygen began building up during the period known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), ...
Phys.org / Pompeii offers insights into ancient Roman building technology
Concrete was the foundation of the ancient Roman empire. It enabled Rome's storied architectural revolution as well as the construction of buildings, bridges, and aqueducts, many of which are still used some 2,000 years after ...
Phys.org / How to watch one of the year's best meteor showers, the Geminids
It's time for one of the strongest meteor showers of the year.
Phys.org / Student researcher leads discovery of fastest gamma-ray burst ever recorded
Sarah Dalessi, a fifth-year student in the College of Science at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, is the lead author of a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal ...
Phys.org / Like living cells, oil-in-water droplets form 'arms' in response to their environment
Oil-in-water droplets respond to chemical cues by forming arm-like extensions that resemble filopodia, which are used by living cells to sense and explore their environment.
Phys.org / K-DRIFT pathfinder: A compact telescope for observing faint galactic structures
Conventional telescopes are limited in detecting low-surface-brightness (LSB) structures, which are essential for studying galaxy evolution. Now, researchers have developed a new telescope system featuring a confocal off-axis ...
Phys.org / Sensational Viking Age grave newly uncovered
Researchers are now investigating a Viking Age grave with preserved skeletal remains and jewelry. The grave was found at Val in Bjugn, in Trøndelag County. A discovery by a metal detectorist alerted researchers to the find.
Phys.org / Decoding the chemistry of life: Maximum entropy reveals how mutations alter enzymes and drive drug resistance
For decades, Arieh Warshel, USC Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and a 2013 Nobel laureate, has used computer simulations to understand how enzymes—fundamental to nearly every biological process in living organisms—carry ...
