Phys.org news

Phys.org / A ring to transcribe them: The unique path of poxviruses

A research team at the University of Würzburg has deciphered another aspect of poxviral gene activation. They have revealed a unique viral mechanism: A molecular ring anchors the viral copying machine to the DNA. Their findings ...

3 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Does the motion of DNA influence its activity?

How does our DNA store the massive amount of information needed to build a human being? And what happens when it's stored incorrectly? Jesse Dixon, MD, Ph.D., has spent years studying the way this genome is folded in 3D space—knowing ...

3 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Astronomers may have just found one of the missing links in galaxy evolution

A team of 48 astronomers from 14 countries, led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has discovered a population of dusty, star-forming galaxies at the far edges of the universe that formed only a billion years after ...

20 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Gotland hunter-gatherer graves hint at how Stone Age families organized

A woman was buried with two children, but they were not her own. In another grave, two children were placed. They were not siblings and were more distantly related, perhaps cousins. In a new study published in the Proceedings ...

17 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / A bacterium's built-in compass, explained: Single-cell magnetometry confirms Earth-field alignment

Some bacterial species possess an astonishing ability: They use Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves. To better understand this mechanism, the team led by Argovia-Professor Martino Poggio from the Swiss Nanoscience ...

18 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Scientists raise 300,000 surfclams offshore, proving open-ocean aquaculture can work

Rutgers researchers have made a discovery that could change the future of seafood farming in New Jersey. A study led by marine scientist Daphne Munroe has shown that Atlantic surfclams can be successfully farmed in the open ...

23 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Strong Field Spin-Boson model revises how intense lasers drive electrons in dense matter

A team of physicists from the University of Ottawa have developed a new theoretical model that shines new light on how scientists understand the way lasers interact with dense matter, such as solids and liquids. This could ...

20 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Nitrogen pollution is rising: What a new global map means for forest carbon

On a cool spring morning in a northern forest, the ground feels soft underfoot. Mist hangs between the trunks, and the air smells of wet leaves and old humus; the slow alchemy that keeps a forest alive. Beneath the surface, ...

22 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Rhythm during sex in bonobos provides new insights into the evolution of communication

An international research team, including VUB data scientist Yannick Jadoul, has shed new light on the rhythmic nature of sexual behavior in bonobos. By precisely analyzing the tempo of movements during sex, researchers aim ...

22 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / World's smallest QR code, read via electron microscope, earns Guinness recognition

Just how small can a QR code be? Small enough that it can only be recognized with an electron microscope. A research team at TU Wien, working together with the data storage technology company Cerabyte, has now demonstrated ...

23 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Prehistoric fossil poses puzzles in shark research

A newly examined prehistoric shark from the age of dinosaurs provides surprising insights into the early evolution of modern sharks. It cannot be confidently assigned to any shark order that exists today and thus calls into ...

23 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Horses with over 30 minutes of REM sleep show better persistence in learning tasks

Just as for humans, sufficient sleep supports learning and coping for horses. A recent study at the University of Helsinki indicates that short periods of REM sleep impair horses' perseverance and performance in demanding ...

20 hours ago in Biology