Phys.org news
Phys.org / Moisture-powered polymers could make cleaning CO₂ from air more efficient
Over the past century, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dramatically. This rise has contributed to global warming and led to many harmful effects, including shifting weather patterns and more frequent ...
Phys.org / How boron helps to produce key proteins for new cancer therapies
Chemists from ETH Zurich have found a way to produce poorly soluble proteins by caging a uniquely reactive boron compound. This method opens up new possibilities for the synthesis of tailored protein therapeutics, including ...
Phys.org / Why averages fail for bacteria in the open ocean
How can bacteria that forage on organic particles survive in vast ocean regions where such particles are extremely sparse? A new study by researchers from ETH Zurich and Queen Mary University of London shows that variability ...
Phys.org / Bacteria have a secret engineering trick to keep themselves in shape
Blow up a long balloon and two things happen: it gets longer and it gets wider. Now imagine a living cell that inflates itself under enormous pressure and yet only grows longer, never adding width. That is exactly what rod-shaped ...
Phys.org / Understanding how wind moves pollen can guide urban planning decisions about green spaces
Due to climate change, plants' pollination season has been growing longer and longer. As a result, people are exposed to allergens for extended periods each year, raising a major public health concern. Researchers from Embry‑Riddle ...
Phys.org / How a shift in the Gulf Stream could signal the collapse of a major ocean current system
Changes in the Gulf Stream, a strong ocean current in the Atlantic, could serve as an early warning of the imminent collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The AMOC is a massive system of ocean ...
Phys.org / Why simulating an entire cell cycle took years, multiple GPUs and six days per run
By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell—from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division—scientists have opened a new frontier of computer vision into the essential processes ...
Phys.org / Camera captures first video of a red fox attacking a wolf pup
We are used to seeing a strict order in nature, with apex predators at the top feeding on those lower down the pecking order. But in video footage from a nature reserve in Italy, we see a red fox turning the tables, attacking ...
Phys.org / Nearby red dwarf star hosts at least four planets—with one in the habitable zone
In 2020, a study confirmed that two planets orbited the nearby red dwarf, GJ 887. Now, astronomers have confirmed the existence of two additional planets orbiting GJ 887 in a new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. ...
Phys.org / 'Peculiar' crocodile ancestor started life on four legs before learning to walk on two
A "peculiar" ancient relative of the crocodile which experts believe began life on four legs before, in adulthood, it learned how to walk on just two has been revealed in a new study. Named Sonselasuchus cedrus, this archaic ...
Phys.org / 2D topological Kondo insulator observed in a moiré superlattice
When mobile charge carriers, also known as itinerant electrons, interact with the strong exchange magnetic fields associated with the intrinsic angular momentum of localized electrons, this can give rise to the so-called ...
Phys.org / Recent pandemic viruses jumped to humans without prior adaptation, study finds
A new University of California San Diego study published in Cell challenges a long-standing assumption about how animal viruses become capable of sparking human epidemics and pandemics. Using a phylogenetic, genome-wide analysis ...
