Phys.org news
Phys.org / Hidden risk pushes 459 Northwest communities higher on wildfire danger scale
A new wildfire risk assessment tool that takes social vulnerability into account indicates that more than 400 communities in the Pacific Northwest are at greater risk than previously thought. However, researchers at Oregon ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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; ...
Phys.org / A bright moon may dim the Eta Aquarid meteor shower made up of Halley's comet debris
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower soon will light the sky with debris from Halley's comet. But a bright moon will spoil the fun this year, making the display harder to glimpse.
Phys.org / New imaging method maps reversed DNA replication forks in single cells
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new imaging method, known as RF-SIRF, that quantitatively detects and maps reversed DNA replication forks with single-cell resolution. The ...
Phys.org / Locked in stone for 210 million years, this newly identified crocodile cousin was built to crush larger prey
On a fateful day 210 million years ago, two crocodile cousins about the size of jackals stood side-by-side amid the low ferns of a humid riverbank that would one day become northern New Mexico. One of the crocs, Hesperosuchus ...
Phys.org / Bees can detect viruses in food sources, but don't necessarily avoid them
The ability to detect viruses and other harmful pathogens is highly advantageous for animals, as it can guide their behavior and prevent them from illness, and—in severe cases—death. When it comes to species that live in ...
