Phys.org news
Phys.org / Single-molecule method rapidly screens custom enzymes from vast mutant libraries
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms. They are widely applied in industries such as food production, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. However, for commercial use, natural enzymes ...
Phys.org / Microbes sense neighbors and change jobs to reduce competition, offering clue to coexistence
New research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, published in Nature Microbiology, reveals that when microbes live together, they can sense one another and actively reduce competition by shifting toward different roles ...
Phys.org / Light-responsive hydrogels enable fast and precise control of soft materials
Researchers at Tampere University have recently demonstrated that light can be used to precisely reshape soft materials without mechanical contact. They have developed light-responsive hydrogel thin films that enable programmable ...
Phys.org / After Rome: Genomic insights from southern Germany reveal the formation of Central European societies
Many of today's villages and towns in Central Europe trace their origins to settlements that emerged after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, often on former Roman territory or in the immediate vicinity of the Limes, ...
Phys.org / Just a few species can drive a plant community's response to warming temperatures
A new analysis of experimental data led by the University of Michigan has unveiled insights into why and how plant communities are changing their makeup to survive in warmer temperatures. Thanks to field studies of plant ...
Phys.org / Nanofiltration for cleaner water is stopping one of farming's most persistent chemicals from slipping through
Water is fundamental to all life—contaminants are harmful to humans and the environment. Herbicides used in agriculture to control weeds present a particular challenge here. The most widely used herbicide in the world is ...
Phys.org / Atomic-column imaging uncovers hidden magnetic structures in antiferromagnets
Antiferromagnetic materials, with antiparallel atomic spins and zero net magnetization, are fast and resistant to external magnetic interference, making them ideal for high-speed, high-density spintronic devices. However, ...
Phys.org / NASA connects little red dots with Chandra and Webb
A newly discovered object may be a key to unlocking the true nature of a mysterious class of sources that astronomers have found in the early universe in recent years. A "X-ray dot" found by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory ...
Phys.org / AI drug target platform pairs prediction with benchmarking to improve early discovery
Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), today announced advancements to its unified AI framework for drug target discovery, integrating its previously ...
Phys.org / Revolving doors and efficient engines: How proteins escape a molecular tangle
Trying to untangle a knot in a mess of strings can be frustrating and time-consuming. But not so for molecular machines—molecules that convert chemical energy into mechanical work and motion. Machines from the AAA+ family, ...
Phys.org / The most common planets in the galaxy don't appear around the most common stars, TESS observations suggest
Astronomers now estimate there is at least one planet for every star in our galaxy. These worlds, called exoplanets, are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. But new research from McMaster University reveals ...
Phys.org / Online game uncovers why tiger stripes work best in sunshine and tall grass
Scientists have used an online game to discover the secrets of animal camouflage—such as why tigers have stripes. The study, by the universities of Exeter and Bristol, reveals that high-contrast markings like tiger stripes ...
