Phys.org news

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 ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / How chromosomes separate accurately: Molecular 'scissors' caught in action

Cell division is a process of remarkable precision: during each cycle, the genetic material must be evenly distributed between the two daughter cells. To achieve this, duplicated chromosomes, known as sister chromatids, are ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Robust 'Huber mean' for geometric data protects against noise and outliers

In an era driven by complex data, scientists are increasingly encountering information that doesn't lie neatly on flat, Euclidean surfaces. From 3D medical scans to robot orientations and AI transformations, much of today's ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Genomes of 24,000 previously unknown microbes revealed by new tools

QUT researchers have recovered the genomes of more than 24,000 previously unknown microbial species—some from entirely new branches of life that likely evolved before plants and animals. The microbes are detailed in two ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Hybridization helps mountain birds adapt to climate change, study finds

Climate change is driving drastic environmental shifts and accelerating global biodiversity loss. Hybrid introgression has recently emerged as a key mechanism enabling rapid adaptation to historical climate change. Yet empirical ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Microfluidic MISO platform enables high-resolution cryo-EM from minimal starting material

Researchers at the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology have developed a new microfluidics-based workflow that enables high-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure determination from extremely small ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Imaging method pinpoints microplastics in intact human tissue samples

While microplastic pollution continues to advance, research into its possible effects on health remains hampered by technical hurdles. To date, there are no suitable methods for precisely identifying the particles in the ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Want to eradicate malaria-bearing mosquitoes? Try fungus, this researcher says

A fungal infection solution could help eliminate up to 86% of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, offering a powerful new tool in the global fight against the disease, according to new research.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Longer growing seasons fail to counteract drought-driven declines in forest growth, study finds

Climate change is extending the growing season in European forests, but this effect will not be sufficient to offset the negative impacts of increasing drought stress. An international research team led by Jan Tumajer from ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Drones map loggerhead sea turtle nesting site hotspots

Florida's beaches—particularly those in Palm Beach County—are among the world's most vital nesting grounds for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), accounting for 90% of all loggerhead nests in the Southeastern United ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / When ants battle bumble bees, nobody wins

When bumble bees fight invasive Argentine ants for food, bees may win an individual skirmish but end up with less to feed the hive.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists discover caves carved by water on Mars that may have once harbored life

If there is, or ever has been, life on Mars, the chances are it would exist in caves protected from the severe dust storms, extreme temperatures, and high radiation present on its surface. One place to focus our attention ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Astronomy & Space