Phys.org news

Phys.org / Speed 'training' prepares bacteria for complex tasks, like munching plastics

Millions of tons of plastic waste accumulate in landfills and oceans every year. One promising response is to engineer microbes to break the plastic down into useful chemical building blocks. However, teaching a bacterium ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Nocturnal migratory birds follow rhythm of the moon, study shows

Moonlight determines when the red-necked nightjar feeds, migrates and raises its young. A groundbreaking long-term study from Lund University shows how the migratory bird's entire annual cycle follows the moon's rhythm.

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Live camel transportation improved by using food as an incentive in place of physical punishment

Around the world, millions of camels are farmed for milk and meat while others are used in leisure activities like racing and riding. Yet the treatment of these animals as livestock can be harsh, especially during transport. ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / A simple filter swap could advance marine eDNA biomonitoring

Researchers at Aarhus University have demonstrated that a simple adjustment to water filtration methods can dramatically improve the detection of marine animal DNA when using advanced, PCR-free sequencing. This methodological ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Chromatin tracking reveals two motion modes that help control gene expression

Gene expression is controlled, in part, by the interactions between genes and regulatory elements located along the genome. Those interactions depend on the ability of chromatin—a mix of DNA and proteins—to move around within ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Plants under stress switch from photosynthesis to protein cleanup, researchers show

Plants are under constant stress due to pathogens, heat, or other environmental factors. Proteins can become damaged as a result and cell function is thrown off balance. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum working with ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / The Big Bang of plant life: Discovery sheds light on how cells form walls

Cell walls are a crucial structure of plant life, protecting cells from damage, giving plants shape, and containing energy-rich nutrients. And yet the process of how the walls begin to form remains mysterious.

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Glowing nanoparticles exposed hidden cancer-protein behavior that could reshape drug screening

Using a powerful single-molecule imaging method they developed, a Broad Institute research team has unveiled a dynamic view of how some cancer-related proteins interact in living cells. The technique relies on highly stable ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Deadly droughts and floods wipe out young California salmon en route to Pacific

Salmon are becoming river "ghosts" as brutal droughts and violent floods cause unprecedented losses on their treacherous journey to the Pacific Ocean, scientists say. A study led by the University of Essex; NOAA Fisheries; ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / How a newly discovered organelle could help reduce cow methane emissions

When cows burp, they send a substantial amount of methane gas into the air, which makes them a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. According to research published in the journal Science, a newly discovered hydrogen-producing ...

May 3, 2026
Phys.org / Rising temperatures could be driving up antibiotic resistance in soil, 11-year study finds

Every year, millions suffer, and thousands lose their lives to infections that were once easily treatable with the right dose of medication. The drugs are the same; human physiology is the same; the only difference is that ...

May 3, 2026
Phys.org / This 'living plastic' activates and self-destructs on command

Many plastic products are designed to be used only once, yet the material itself lasts for years. But a new strategy is addressing this problem by creating products that self-destruct on command, known as living plastics. ...

May 3, 2026