Phys.org news
Phys.org / The genome editing playbook is different in neurons and other nondividing cells, researchers discover
The gene editing tool known as CRISPR-Cas9 is changing what's possible for treating a wide range of diseases caused by genetic mutations. But so far, attempts to use the technology to address brain-based genetic disorders ...
Phys.org / CT scans reveal hidden details of ancient copper smelting in early Iran
About 5,000 years ago, people living in what is now Iran began extracting copper from rock by processing ore, an activity known as smelting. This monumental shift gave them a powerful new technology and may have marked the ...
Phys.org / How bacteria 'feel' surfaces: Fluorescent probe visualizes and quantifies membrane tension
In natural environments, bacteria rarely live as free-swimming cells but are attached to surfaces as biofilms in medical devices, mobile phones or human tissue. The bacterial behavior, how they attach and grow, group together ...
Phys.org / Researchers decode the chemistry behind a deadly genetic disorder
Northeastern University researchers used an original machine learning tool to predict how genetic mutations cause a rare metabolic disease known as OTC deficiency, uncovering some underlying biochemical mechanisms at play ...
Phys.org / Machine learning framework can scan for signs of extraterrestrial life
A machine learning framework can distinguish molecules made by biological processes from those formed through non-biological processes and could be used to analyze samples returned by current and future planetary missions. ...
Phys.org / Andes glaciers will fail to buffer megadroughts by century's end, study suggests
In light of the ongoing fifteen-year megadrought in Chile, an international team of researchers, including Francesca Pellicciotti from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), addressed a bold future scenario. ...
Phys.org / Algorithm finds smallest dataset that guarantees optimal solutions to complex problems
Determining the least expensive path for a new subway line underneath a metropolis like New York City is a colossal planning challenge—involving thousands of potential routes through hundreds of city blocks, each with uncertain ...
Phys.org / Weather behind past heat waves could return far deadlier
The weather patterns that produced some of Europe's most extreme heat waves over the past three decades could prove far more lethal if they strike in today's hotter climate, pushing weekly deaths toward levels seen during ...
Phys.org / Illuminating the messages that cells leave behind: Cells trek along vesicle 'breadcrumbs'
In stunning new time-lapse videos, biological nanoparticles scoot and flit across a starry field of glowing dots. Guided by the invisible chemistry of attraction, these microscopic travelers eventually group together to form ...
Phys.org / Nanoparticles promise swift Vibrio control for safer seafood and healthier fish
Vibrio bacteria are major pathogens in the aquaculture industry, triggering vibriosis—a disease that can cause mortality rates of up to 90% within two days. This not only results in billions of dollars in economic losses ...
Phys.org / How a genetic circuit may have helped the evolution of insect wings
In most developing tissues, signals called morphogens act like lighthouses, guiding nearby cells toward their fate and telling them what to become. Each cell relies on such signals for organized structures like organs and ...
Phys.org / Monitoring hidden processes beneath Kīlauea could aid eruption forecast
The massive 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano on Hawai'i Island lasted for months, destroyed neighborhoods, and was associated with 60,000 earthquakes.
