Phys.org news
Phys.org / New AI tool maps the hidden universe of small molecules
The human body and its gut microbiome produce thousands of small molecules that shape how the body functions—influencing immunity, metabolism and more. Identifying what those molecules actually are has been one of the biomedical ...
Phys.org / How Mercury formed its graphite crust and core
As the BepiColombo mission prepares to enter the final phase of its journey to Mercury, a series of studies conducted by researchers at the University of Liège and KU Leuven sheds new light on the early stages of the evolution ...
Phys.org / Virus-like particles enable gene activity tracking over time in the same cells
In recent years, scientists have developed methods to measure a cell's transcriptome, or all the RNA produced by a cell, to study the cell's identity and genetic activity. However, these methods rely on killing the cell to ...
Phys.org / Sound waves and water droplets transform paper waste into higher-value chemical compound
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a fast, simple way to turn lignin, a plentiful plant-based byproduct of the papermaking industry, into potentially more valuable renewable chemicals.
Phys.org / Embedded platinum channels bring nanoscale spin-based thermoelectric conversion to bulk materials
A joint research team from NIMS and the University of Tokyo has developed a new composite in which three-dimensional nano-interfaces are distributed throughout the material by coating the surfaces of magnetic-insulator powders ...
Phys.org / Archaea as 'flexitarians': Ammonia-oxidizing microbes also feed on amino acids
Symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea in marine sponges are not strict specialists but true "flexitarians." A team led by microbiologists Bettina Glasl and Katharina Kitzinger from the University of Vienna, in collaboration ...
Phys.org / Turbulent times for star formation in Stephan's Quintet
Star formation in galaxies is closely linked to molecular gas. In the distant past, when galaxy interactions were more common, these encounters compressed molecular gas, causing dense clouds to collapse under their own gravity ...
Phys.org / Ultrafast electrons and lasers reveal unexpectedly strong radiation signals in common semiconductors
Detecting radiation is key to technologies ranging from particle accelerators and scientific instruments to medical imaging and security screening. But current detectors must often make trade-offs, providing signals that ...
Phys.org / 'Hidden order in disorder' makes nanodevices easier to design
Augmented reality (AR) glasses, lenses thinner than a human hair, and holograms floating above your fingertips may sound like technologies from science fiction. At the heart of these emerging technologies, however, lies a ...
Phys.org / Physics-informed AI improves predictions of how critical minerals move through rock
The key to finding more critical minerals may lie in understanding how fluids and chemicals move through rock. As these fluids travel underground, they can dissolve, transport and concentrate valuable minerals in specific ...
Phys.org / 'Soft crosslinking' strategy makes brittle, glassy plastics tougher
Glassy polymers are those whose chains become immobilized below their glass transition temperature. The immobilized chains make them hard and stiff but also brittle, causing them to fracture when stretched. One promising ...
Phys.org / Ultrafast sample spinning improves protein structural data by dizzying proportions
Researchers have been elucidating the structures of complex molecules for more than 100 years using a variety of techniques. Some molecular structures, however, are more difficult to solve than others.
