Phys.org news
Phys.org / Moderate warming rewires one-third of microalga's genes, study finds
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii alters the activity of about one-third of its protein-coding genes in response even to moderate temperature changes. The study, ...
Phys.org / Visible light triggers three-step cascade to make 3D drug-like molecules
A team led by chemist Frank Glorius, a professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Münster, has developed a new light-driven reaction sequence. In this triple catalysis, one reaction step triggers ...
Phys.org / Researchers discover genetic secrets of mung bean crops
Researchers at the Center for Crop and Food Innovation (CCFI) have made a significant contribution to a landmark study, uncovering tens of thousands of previously hidden structural variations influencing agriculturally important ...
Phys.org / Genomic study of the Asian house shrew reveals a complex history of Indo-Pacific trade and human migration
Sometimes mistaken for a strange-looking mouse with a long, pointed snout, the Asian house shrew is a small, furry animal known for its musky odor. It's usually found lurking near homes and farms, ports and cities, across ...
Phys.org / Tiny mountain lakes pose big, overlooked flood risks, new study warns
A new international study involving scientists from the University of Aberdeen has revealed a critical blind spot in global climate risk assessments—the growing danger posed by small alpine lakes formed by glacier retreat ...
Phys.org / New ligand engineering strategy creates more active nanocluster catalysts
A joint research group from Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University and the Japan Fine Ceramics Center has developed a thermal catalyst that exhibits high carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation ...
Phys.org / Volcanoes and wildfires are adding water vapor to the stratosphere, raising climate concerns
Moderate volcanic eruptions and extreme wildfires since 2005 have led to an increase in the amount of water vapor in the stratosphere, a layer of Earth's atmosphere above the weather-filled troposphere. That's potentially ...
Phys.org / Next‑generation membranes can refine crude oil using under half the energy of distillation
Oil refining is necessary for transforming raw, unusable crude oil into valuable goods like gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and petrochemical feedstocks. However, the usual distillation process is energy-intensive, spurring researchers ...
Phys.org / Newly identified 'saprotropism' helps roots avoid decaying plant matter—but not animal decay
Decaying matter shapes life in soil, but it can also create hostile zones for growing roots. Professor Jiří Friml of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and international collaborators have now identified ...
Phys.org / Fossils found decades ago reveal extinct 3.5 million-year-old giant salamander species
In the late 1990s in the Ajimu region of Japan's Oita Prefecture, researchers discovered three fossilized vertebrae belonging to the Cryptobranchidae family of giant salamanders. These were embedded in the Tsubusugawa Formation, ...
Phys.org / Morning glories reveal 96% drop in adaptation as pollinator pressure reshapes evolution
Facing both climate change and a crashing pollinator population, plants may be evolving to attract pollinators rather than adapting to a warming climate, and the trade-off has resulted in a steep decline in plants' rate of ...
Phys.org / Shackleton's final ship is no longer just a sonar shadow
An expedition led by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has obtained the first close-up images of the wreck of Quest, the last ship of famed Antarctic explorer ...