Phys.org news
Phys.org / Purple corn offers a stable natural alternative to artificial food dyes
University of Missouri researchers are turning a unique variety of corn into an effective natural alternative to artificial food dyes.
Phys.org / Invasive species hit the Global South significantly harder than previously assumed
Invasive alien species are among the world's leading drivers of species extinction. However, previous global assessments of the geographic distribution of this damage suffered from a systematic "research bias": Because significantly ...
Phys.org / Molecular switch that activates cell growth signaling may offer more precise route for anticancer therapy
Cells carry their own growth switches. When enough nutrients—amino acids in particular—are available, cells flip this switch on and begin to grow. Researchers at KAIST and Yonsei University have uncovered the molecular mechanism ...
Phys.org / California wildfire damage risk map uses factors most closely linked to severe property losses
By analyzing 100,000 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection inspection records from 2013 to 2024, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have identified the key environmental and human factors ...
Phys.org / When polymers meet primitive membranes: How molecular cooperation may have helped life begin
A new study suggests that simple molecules on early Earth may have worked together to create more stable, cell-like structures, offering fresh clues about one of science's biggest questions: how life began. Led by Dr. Moran ...
Phys.org / Plants know when to grow—and when to hold back, study finds
Researchers have uncovered a surprising mechanism that allows plants to carefully coordinate the formation and growth of new leaf parts. The study shows that the hormone auxin regulates different phases in organ formation ...
Phys.org / Moth wings reveal an unexpected ability to smell plant chemicals
Insect wings are bristling with senses, feeling the wind blowing and even tasting potential mates, but little was known about whether moth wings are equipped with a sense of smell. Sonja Bisch-Knaden and Bill Hansson from ...
Phys.org / New snail species bolster case for protecting Montenegro's biodiversity
The descriptions of the two new additions to the European snail fauna, named Cochlostoma komarnica and Cochlostoma dobrido, have been published in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal.
Phys.org / Research cautions that sometimes working together can actually spur inequality
Encouraging people to contribute to a common good can have a surprising drawback: a risk that rewards become concentrated among a smaller group, putting the rest at a disadvantage. Put more simply, "equality and cooperation ...
Phys.org / Hidden DNA copying may give bacteria a faster route to antibiotic resistance
The dangers of antibiotic overuse have become increasingly clear in recent decades. Excessive use accelerates the evolution of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, raising the alarming prospect of infections that no longer ...
Phys.org / Light reveals transient electronic step behind a hidden state in metal-organic framework
A fleeting photoinduced electronic state and the subsequent formation of a photoinduced hidden state in a metal–organic framework were captured in just 30 femtoseconds by researchers at Science Tokyo, Tohoku University and ...
Phys.org / AI and robotics accelerate search for better gut microbiome therapies
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a method for systematically developing novel, complex combinations of probiotics and prebiotics to more effectively maintain gut health and treat various gastrointestinal ...