Phys.org news
Phys.org / New cable design mitigates flaws in superconducting wires
When current flows through a wire, it doesn't always have a perfect path. Tiny defects within the wire mean current must travel a more circuitous route, a problem for engineers and manufacturers seeking reliable equipment.
Phys.org / Wine grape still carries molecular memory of its ancestry after 400 years, study finds
About 400 years ago, a cross between cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc gave birth to cabernet sauvignon. Today, cabernet sauvignon is the world's most-planted wine grape, dominating vineyards from Napa to Bordeaux. New research ...
Phys.org / Sharper MRI scans may be on horizon thanks to new physics-based model
Researchers at Rice University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have unveiled a physics-based model of magnetic resonance relaxation that bridges molecular-scale dynamics with macroscopic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ...
Phys.org / Enzyme-free approach gently detaches cells from culture surfaces
Anchorage-dependent cells are cells that require physical attachment to a solid surface, such as a culture dish, to survive, grow, and reproduce. In the biomedical industry, and others, having the ability to culture these ...
Phys.org / Single-celled organisms have more complex DNA epigenetic code than multicellular life, researchers discover
Multicellular organisms (animals, plants, humans) all have the ability to methylate the cytosine base in their DNA. This process, a type of epigenetic modification, plays an important role in conditions such as cancer and ...
Phys.org / How bacteria 'feel' surfaces: Fluorescent probe visualizes and quantifies membrane tension
In natural environments, bacteria rarely live as free-swimming cells but are attached to surfaces as biofilms in medical devices, mobile phones or human tissue. The bacterial behavior, how they attach and grow, group together ...
Phys.org / Ancient and colonial legacies continue to shape Amazon forest biodiversity today
Human influence across centuries continues to define biodiversity and carbon storage in the world's largest rainforest, according to a new international study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ...
Phys.org / CT scans reveal hidden details of ancient copper smelting in early Iran
About 5,000 years ago, people living in what is now Iran began extracting copper from rock by processing ore, an activity known as smelting. This monumental shift gave them a powerful new technology and may have marked the ...
Phys.org / Quantum-centric supercomputing simulates supramolecular interactions
A team led by Cleveland Clinic's Kenneth Merz, Ph.D., and IBM's Antonio Mezzacapo, Ph.D., is developing quantum computing methods to simulate and study supramolecular processes that guide how entire molecules interact with ...
Phys.org / Efficient quantum process tomography for enabling scalable optical quantum computing
Optical quantum computers are gaining attention as a next-generation computing technology with high speed and scalability. However, accurately characterizing complex optical processes, where multiple optical modes interact ...
Phys.org / The genome editing playbook is different in neurons and other nondividing cells, researchers discover
The gene editing tool known as CRISPR-Cas9 is changing what's possible for treating a wide range of diseases caused by genetic mutations. But so far, attempts to use the technology to address brain-based genetic disorders ...
Phys.org / Quantum imaging settles 20-year debate on gold surface electron spin direction
Researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS) have definitively resolved a two-decade-long controversy regarding the direction of electron spin on the surface of gold.