Phys.org news
Phys.org / Ancient Intermountain West was once a vast sea sponge habitat
While they didn't live in a pineapple under the Phosphoria Sea, it turns out a good chunk of the prehistoric Intermountain West was once blanketed in sea sponges.
Phys.org / The hidden impacts of drinking-water treatment on urban streams
Aging lead-pipe drinking water systems, along with the public health measures implemented to reduce their risks, are reshaping the chemistry and health of nearby urban streams. New research from University of Pittsburgh biogeochemists, ...
Phys.org / Largest RNA language model to date offers new way to predict behavior and boost drug discovery
RNA plays a vital role in how our genes are expressed and how diseases develop. Yet, because RNA molecules constantly change shape, understanding how they work has long been a major scientific challenge.
Phys.org / Putting less meat and more legumes in school menus reduces environmental impact by up to 50%
The transition to healthy diets with a low environmental impact is crucial to achieving sustainable food systems and reducing health problems. In this context, dietary guidelines for schools can encourage eating behaviors ...
Phys.org / Algorithms reveal how propane becomes propylene for everyday products
Countless everyday products, from plastic squeeze bottles to outdoor furniture, are derived by first turning propane into propylene.
Phys.org / Invisible groundwater threatens aging urban infrastructure, researchers warn
Groundwater rise as a result of climate change poses a significant threat to coastal cities, says University of Rhode Island assistant professor of geosciences Christopher Russoniello. Russoniello and colleagues recently ...
Phys.org / Which came first: The sponge or the comb jelly? Scientists weigh in
In the world of phylogenetics, there's team sponge and team comb jelly. Which creature roots the animal tree of life—the simple sponge or the more complex comb jelly—has stirred fierce debate among phylogeneticists, researchers ...
Phys.org / Eggplant pangenome and panphenome reveal diversity and adaptation potential
An international research collaboration, including INRAE, has published the complete set of genes (pangenome) and agronomic traits (panphenome) of the eggplant. Beyond the genome, this comprehensive collection encompasses ...
Phys.org / Coastal ocean acidification advancing faster than expected, threatening local economies
New research from the University of St Andrews has found that some coastal areas will become much more acidic than previously anticipated. With added atmospheric CO2, these areas are acidifying more quickly than thought, ...
Phys.org / Bacterial scents from sick oaks attract beetles that worsen tree decline
The deadly decline of Britain's native oak trees may be driven by an unexpected accomplice: their own smell.
Phys.org / Mechanistic model can predict biological community development across ecosystems
Biological communities are rarely stable. Their composition is constantly changing, depending on the environmental conditions in the respective ecosystems—and sometimes this change is so vast that individual species completely ...
Phys.org / Microbial network restructuring mitigates long-term soil carbon emissions from warming, decade-long study finds
Soils release approximately 40–60 petagrams (Pg) of carbon annually into the atmosphere through microbial metabolism. Climate warming is projected to further enhance soil microbial respiration, intensifying positive carbon–climate ...
