Phys.org news
Phys.org / AI method advances customized enzyme design
Enzymes with specific functions are becoming increasingly important in industry, medicine and environmental protection. For example, they make it possible to synthesize chemicals in a more environmentally friendly way, produce ...
Phys.org / Living walls boost biodiversity by providing safe spaces for urban wildlife
Living walls—structures housing flowers and plants fitted to the outside of new and old buildings—can significantly enhance the biodiversity within urban environments, a new study has shown.
Phys.org / Increased soil salinity alters global inorganic carbon storage, finds study
A new global study shows that increasing soil salinity is systematically reshaping the storage and distribution of soil inorganic carbon (SIC), a key but often-overlooked part of terrestrial ecosystems. The findings, published ...
Phys.org / Expanding existing mines poses overlooked long-term environmental and social risks
Mining companies worldwide are expanding mineral extraction at existing mines, as the rate of opening new sites slows, to meet global demand driven mainly by the need for clean energy infrastructure.
Phys.org / DNA nanodevices reveal acidic nanolayer on lysosome surfaces in live cells
Lysosomes are membrane-bound organelles whose acidic lumen (pH 4.5–5.0) is required for degradation. This luminal acidity is known to regulate cytosolic-side functions such as membrane fusion/fission, movement, and membrane-contact ...
Phys.org / Tuning color through molecular stacking: A new strategy for smarter pressure sensors
Piezofluorochromism, the phenomenon of materials reversibly changing their fluorescent color when pressure is applied, is used to create the pressure sensors used in automotive and medical industries. By monitoring color ...
Phys.org / Neanderthals took reusable toolkits with them on high-altitude treks through the Alps
When Neanderthals in Italy were crossing the Alps, it's likely they took refuge in high-altitude bear caves. A new study of stone tools in Caverna Generosa, a cave sitting 1,450 meters up in the mountains, found that these ...
Phys.org / Unified framework sorts spacetime fluctuations for quantum-gravity experiments
A team of researchers led by the University of Warwick has developed the first unified framework for detecting "spacetime fluctuations"—tiny, random distortions in the fabric of spacetime that appear in many attempts to ...
Phys.org / Bionic LiDAR system achieves beyond-retinal resolution through adaptive focusing
In a recent study, researchers from China have developed a chip-scale LiDAR system that mimics the human eye's foveation by dynamically concentrating high-resolution sensing on regions of interest (ROIs) while maintaining ...
Phys.org / Too much entanglement? Quantum networks can suffer from 'selfish routing,' study shows
Quantum technologies, systems that process, transfer or store information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could tackle some real-world problems faster and more effectively than their classical counterparts. In recent ...
Phys.org / World's oldest rock art holds clues to early human migration to Australia
A hand stencil on the wall of a cave in Indonesia has become the oldest known rock art in the world, exceeding the archaeologists' previous discovery in the same region by 15,000 years or more.
Phys.org / How European city life is continually rewriting insect DNA
Cities are known to shape the evolution of wildlife within them, but according to a study of European cities published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, this is not a one-off event. Rather ...
