Phys.org news

Fine particulate matter in the air or nanoparticles in water—a remarkable new technology developed at TU Wien makes it possible to detect tiny amounts of a wide range of substances in a very short time.

A new study finds that bacteria can actively block the transfer of beneficial genes to neighboring cells, using specialized proteins to specifically destroy shared DNA before it spreads. This challenges the long-held view ...

Proteins are essential molecules in living systems. They move, interact and organize themselves to carry out a wide range of functions, from helping cells communicate to forming structures inside the cell. In many cases, ...

Researchers from the University of Liverpool, Japan, and Argentina have captured atomic-resolution images of an important copper-containing enzyme using advanced X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) technology at SACLA in Japan. ...

Roaring over long distances is a key behavior of lions. They communicate within prides as well as with other animals using distinct sequences of moans and grunts. Scientists from the GAIA Initiative have now published a machine ...

Scientists have developed a unique way to build electronic components so small they are made from chains of individual molecules—creating a toolbox to help build materials that could power the next generation of technology.

Much of the beauty—and challenge—of biology lies in its complexity. That's especially true in the microbial world, where hundreds or thousands of different bacterial species may co-exist in a patch of soil or in a section ...

Amber from the Kachin region of Myanmar has preserved a wealth of fossils, offering insights into the diversity of the Cretaceous fauna of a 100-million-year-old forest ecosystem. The site continues to yield previously unknown ...

A tiny discrepancy in particle physics has loomed for decades as an exciting possible crack in one of science's most successful theories, hinting at unknown forces or quantum objects. Now, an international team led by a Penn ...

Cooperation is a pillar of human society, promoting an exchange of skills and knowledge between different individuals and social groups. Humans typically do not only cooperate with their own family, friends and members of ...

For more than 100,000 years, the Methana volcano in Greece appeared dormant. No lava, no explosions, no ash clouds. It appeared extinct, like many other volcanoes today. An international research team led by ETH Zurich has ...

Mud-rich coastlines could face a greater tsunami risk, at least that may have been the case for the 2011 Tōhoku-oki tsunami that killed more than 19,000 people and led to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. According ...