Phys.org news

Phys.org / How invading cancer cells grip and rip their way into new tissues

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered that cancer cells do not simply push through surrounding tissues to spread, but instead actively grip onto protective tissue barriers and pull them ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Swapping molecular building blocks one by one reveals how receptors tell adrenaline from dopamine

Different receptors respond to different neurotransmitters or hormones, such as adrenaline involved in the fight-or-flight response, or dopamine linked to reward and motivation. Both the receptors themselves and the substances ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Cold events rival heat waves in bleaching Indonesia's corals, analysis reveals

The Indonesian seas are a biodiversity hotspot, harboring the highest coral diversity in the tropics and home to an extraordinary variety of marine life. Yet these unique ecosystems have been under growing pressure for years, ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Quantum circuit test finally exposes what has been warping performance

Quantum computers could someday solve pressing problems that are too convoluted for classical computers, such as modeling complex molecular interactions to streamline drug discovery and materials development.

9 hours ago
Phys.org / How a single radioactive cloud caused Fukushima particle contamination

A new study shows that a single radioactive cloud was responsible for a large share of the nuclear fallout during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on 11 March 2011. The work is published in the Journal of Hazardous ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Roots reveal climate adaptation as 284 plant varieties reshape water barrier

Plant roots are far more than simple absorption organs: they can adjust their structure to better cope with water stress. Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Lausanne (UNIL), ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / How we feel political emotions in our bodies—and why this matters for democracy

Researchers have found our emotions toward politics not only play on our minds, but shape how our bodies respond to political experiences, even driving political participation higher. The new study, published in the Proceedings ...

9 hours ago
Dialog / Novel technique measures polymer degradation during cathodic overprotection

Oil and natural gas are vital constituents of our energy ecosystem that need to be transported across long distances. Although steel pipelines are the infrastructure used for this purpose, thereby serving as the lifeline ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / A baby bird's wish list: Mild weather, attentive parents, not being the smallest sibling

Experiences in the first days and weeks of life can have a profound impact on humans—and birds. A new study led by Sage Madden, a graduate student in evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis, shows how ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Implosion carving' shrinks 3D photonic devices 2,000-fold for visible-light computing

Using a new technique that can create vacancies at any site across a material and then shrink it to about 1/2,000 of its original volume, MIT researchers have designed nanotechnology devices that could be used for optical ...

11 hours ago
Phys.org / Human childbirth is not uniquely difficult among mammals

Human childbirth is commonly viewed as uniquely difficult and dangerous. The reason: The combination of bipedalism and large brains creates a tight fit between the baby and the birth canal. Research at the University of Vienna ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / One drug, two cleanup crews: A built-in backup for targeted protein degradation

Most drugs work by inhibition: they block a protein's activity but leave the protein itself intact. Targeted protein degradation takes a fundamentally different approach, harnessing the cell's own quality-control machinery ...

10 hours ago