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 ...

17 hours ago
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 ...

16 hours ago
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 ...

17 hours ago
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, ...

15 hours ago
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 ...

18 hours ago
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 ...

17 hours ago
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 ...

23 hours ago
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.

18 hours ago
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. ...

17 hours ago
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 ...

20 hours ago
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 ...

19 hours ago
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 ...

22 hours ago