Phys.org news

Phys.org / No more guesswork in drug design—atomic-resolution method exposes what trial and error keep missing

Drug discovery still too often relies on expensive trial and error. Researchers from ICTER show there is another way—building molecules step by step and observing their behavior at atomic resolution. This approach could significantly ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Louisiana's shrinking coast may offer world early guide to climate adaptation

A Tulane University-led team of interdisciplinary researchers says coastal Louisiana's climate-driven land loss and population shifts could position the state to become a global leader in planning for climate adaptation.

18 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists uncover beetle transport system for newly identified 'towering' nematodes

In 2025, Konstanz scientists looked very closely at rotting fruit in local orchards, and observed what no one had before—worms, hundreds of them, twisting skyward into self-assembled living structures known as "towers." It ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Climate change is rewriting winter lakes in a way that looks completely backward at first glance

Climate change undoubtedly affects lakes and the functioning of their ecosystems, but seasonal impacts are not always straightforward. An international team of researchers from York University in Canada, the Finnish Environment ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / How plants make copies of themselves—key 'cloning switch' gene identified

A Hiroshima-University-led research team has discovered a key gene responsible for the initiation of gemma development, acting as a "master switch" to start asexual reproduction (cloning) in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Beam-splitting approach reveals hidden changes in vitamin B12

Researchers at European XFEL have developed a way to study liquid samples that are too dilute for many existing X-ray experiments. The method is highly sensitive, and in the first experiment a group of international scientists ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Plants under stress switch from photosynthesis to protein cleanup, researchers show

Plants are under constant stress due to pathogens, heat, or other environmental factors. Proteins can become damaged as a result and cell function is thrown off balance. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum working with ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / The Big Bang of plant life: Discovery sheds light on how cells form walls

Cell walls are a crucial structure of plant life, protecting cells from damage, giving plants shape, and containing energy-rich nutrients. And yet the process of how the walls begin to form remains mysterious.

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Live camel transportation improved by using food as an incentive in place of physical punishment

Around the world, millions of camels are farmed for milk and meat while others are used in leisure activities like racing and riding. Yet the treatment of these animals as livestock can be harsh, especially during transport. ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Nocturnal migratory birds follow rhythm of the moon, study shows

Moonlight determines when the red-necked nightjar feeds, migrates and raises its young. A groundbreaking long-term study from Lund University shows how the migratory bird's entire annual cycle follows the moon's rhythm.

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Chromatin tracking reveals two motion modes that help control gene expression

Gene expression is controlled, in part, by the interactions between genes and regulatory elements located along the genome. Those interactions depend on the ability of chromatin—a mix of DNA and proteins—to move around within ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Speed 'training' prepares bacteria for complex tasks, like munching plastics

Millions of tons of plastic waste accumulate in landfills and oceans every year. One promising response is to engineer microbes to break the plastic down into useful chemical building blocks. However, teaching a bacterium ...

22 hours ago