Phys.org news

Phys.org / Overlooked DNA structures help organize the genome

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that little-studied DNA structures play a central role in organizing the human genome and controlling gene activity, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / The best pollinators can drive evolutionary changes in flowers

A new study by plant biologists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, challenges a longstanding idea that stems from the large number of flowers in the mountains of Central and South America that have evolved to be ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / AI paired with tiny optical device corrects distorted light for sharper imaging

Blurry light from lens imperfections is a problem everywhere, from microscopes to telescopes to smartphone cameras. Using a tiny yet carefully engineered optical element and artificial intelligence, University of California ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / Atmosphere survival model refines search for habitable planets

Researchers have developed the Smaller Than Earth Habitability Model (STEHM) to assess which planets can maintain life-supporting atmospheres, focusing on size and atmospheric dynamics.

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / AI-guided catalyst turns CO₂ and waste into fertilizer at industrially relevant rates

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a computation-guided strategy to produce urea more efficiently from carbon dioxide and nitrate. By combining large language models, density functional ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / ExoMars rover targets vast bed of clay in search for life

In the region where the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will search for signs of life, clay deposits extend beyond previous estimates, a new study finds. One hypothesis even suggests a vast ocean once covered the landing ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / Easily overlooked small wetlands are a big source of global methane

Waterlogged land areas such as marshes, bogs and fens are the world's largest natural source of methane. Even the smallest of wetlands emit this powerful greenhouse gas. In a study from The University of Texas at Austin, ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / Smarter land use could unlock biodiversity, climate and economic gains across 146 countries

National governments and multilateral institutions face difficult challenges reconciling environmental goals, such as biodiversity conservation and addressing climate change, with economic development goals. In a first-of-its-kind ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / Wildfires reverse decade of ozone cleanup in the United States, study reveals

Ozone pollution has worsened in much of the continental United States over the past decade, fueled by wildfires and the long-distance transport of unhealthy air, according to a new study titled "Fires reverse progress toward ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / Why jellyfish can't rise to the surface

Using box jellyfish as an example, researchers from Kiel University show how the physics of density, not behavior or physiology, can prevent animals from reaching the surface even as they actively swim upward.

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / Endangered basking sharks rely on the ocean twilight zone during long-distance migrations

Endangered basking sharks aren't fasting during long-distance migrations. A new study led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows that they may be foraging along the way, and in much deeper areas of the ocean than ...

Jun 4, 2026
Phys.org / Global mangrove forests rebound, offering hopeful sign for climate and coastal resilience

Mangrove forests, once considered one of the world's most threatened coastal ecosystems, are showing signs of recovery worldwide, according to new research from Tulane University that finds decades of losses largely offset ...

Jun 4, 2026