Phys.org news

Researchers at ETH Zurich recently explained the role of a molecular complex that orchestrates the production of proteins in our cells. They now show that this complex also controls the processing of proteins that compact ...

Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses? The famous question, though implausible, reflects a ubiquitous tradeoff between quantity and quality. Now, a study shows that this dilemma operates in biology ...

Several hundred volcanoes lie dormant beneath the Eifel in western Germany. They are typical examples of what is known as distributed volcanic fields. To better understand their formation and activity, researchers from the ...

Many biological processes are regulated by electricity—from nerve impulses to heartbeats to the movement of molecules in and out of cells.

A new study from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) in London, UK reveals how ancient viral DNA once written off as "junk" plays a crucial role in the earliest moments of life. The research, published in Science ...

In recent years, the global climate has become increasingly extreme, with intensifying alternations of droughts and floods—particularly in ecologically vulnerable mid-latitude regions. But what is driving this hydroclimatic ...

A team of Australian and international scientists has, for the first time, created a full picture of how errors unfold over time inside a quantum computer—a breakthrough that could help make future quantum machines far ...

Humans have it. So does Drosophila. But not yeast. That "it" is a small pause at the start of gene activity—a brief molecular halt that may have helped life evolve from simple cells to complex animals.

A large-scale model study now shows how the global food system can contribute to the fight against global warming. It identifies 23 levers, calculates their effectiveness and concludes: a decisive transformation of this sector ...

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how molecular "traffic controllers" in cells influence aging and cellular senescence—a state where cells stop dividing but remain metabolically active. The study, published ...

A breakthrough development in nanofabrication could help support the development of new wireless, flexible, high-performance transparent electronic devices.

Scientists have discovered a genetic process which could unlock new ways to treat a mysterious and deadly fungal infection which has shut down multiple hospital intensive care units.