Phys.org news
Phys.org / Scientists reveal how our cells conduct emergency repairs for DNA
Two new studies from Johns Hopkins University are providing scientists with an unprecedented view of how human cells repair one of the most dangerous forms of genetic damage: a break that severs both strands of the DNA double ...
Phys.org / Plasma technology could help plant-based packaging replace plastic
A new study has found a sustainable and scalable way to improve the durability of plant-based packaging; it's a discovery that researchers say could help curb the environmental footprint of plastic. Researchers used advanced ...
Phys.org / Truckee River microplastics rise nearly tenfold during high spring flows
The ubiquitous plastics of modern life are degrading into tiny fragments and littering Earth's landscapes and waterways. Scientists are starting to examine and measure this phenomenon to better understand how microplastics ...
Phys.org / Sequencing genomes from museum collections could transform scientific inquiry
Natural history collections around the world collectively hold more than 1 billion specimens, spanning a wide variety of times and places. These include species that are extinct or come from areas now transformed beyond recognition, ...
Phys.org / New ligand design balances radical generation and catalyst regeneration for challenging chemical reactions
Radicals, atoms or molecules that readily react with other substances to form new bonds, are useful tools for building complex substances such as pharmaceuticals. But even when a radical is generated efficiently, the reaction ...
Phys.org / How migrating cells build their leading edge: Master regulator may resolve long-standing debate
The ability of cells to move and change position is essential for various processes in our bodies. Immune cells move to sites of action, epithelial cells migrate during wound closure, and neurons extend their axons for signal ...
Phys.org / Planetary Health Check 2026 finds mounting pressures across Earth's life support systems
Seven breached Planetary Boundaries continue to worsen as record ocean heat, droughts, floods, wildfires and extreme heat reveal an Earth system under strain, according to the latest Planetary Health Check. The annual update ...
Phys.org / Low-cost sensor tracks soil pH continuously for months across varied soils
At first glance, a farm field doesn't seem all that complicated. It's just dirt and crops.
Phys.org / New nanoparticle drug-delivery method may improve treatment for endometriosis
Researchers have engineered a drug treatment that shows rapid effectiveness against endometriosis in early testing, laying the foundation for a potential therapy for an incurable, chronic disease that affects 1 in 10 women. ...
Phys.org / Under stress, bacterial RNA and proteins tell different stories
During infection, bacteria encounter rapidly changing and stressful environments inside the body. To understand how they adapt, researchers often measure messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries information from genes that can ...
Phys.org / Lemur uses opera singer's trick to belt out forest songs
We are often left open-mouthed in awe as an opera singer hits a soaring top note. Now, researchers at the University of Warwick have found that the indri, the world's only known singing lemur, appears to use a strikingly ...
Phys.org / A 'rebellious' exoplanet orbits in the opposite direction of its star
A star and its planets form when a cloud of gas and dust collapses in on itself somewhere in space. The cloud then forms a disk around the nascent star, within which the planets will form. This protostar and its disk then ...