Phys.org news
Phys.org / Dogs are more like toddlers than cats when it comes to helping humans
Why does your dog rush to "help" when you are searching for something, while your cat seems… eh, less concerned? New research suggests that this difference may stem from deep evolutionary roots—and that, in certain situations, ...
Phys.org / Mitochondria can reshape lipid storage in cells by repurposing a protein-insertion complex
A recent study by the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn and the University of Freiburg shows that the mitochondria appear to be able to influence the number of lipid droplets in the cell using a mechanism that ...
Phys.org / Undergrads expand the chemical toolbox for cancer drugs
Thanks to modern therapies, a cancer diagnosis is no longer an automatic death sentence. But many patients still suffer from unwanted side effects and limited efficacy. In a recent Bioconjugate Chemistry publication, William ...
Phys.org / Scientists lay out what we do and don't yet know about moths and butterflies
Should you ever find yourself playing a trivia game on the topic of moths and butterflies, here are a few facts that might help. Collectively called Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies account for nearly 10% of all animal ...
Phys.org / Turning over a new leaf in analyses of natural products
Scientists have developed a new way to help understand what happens in the body when people consume a plant product and the many chemicals it contains. The Journal of Natural Products published the method to quickly analyze ...
Phys.org / Smart materials and drug delivery could exploit lipid molecules that reorganize at drying interfaces
Minor changes in moisture level can promote lipid molecules to reorganize themselves in biomaterial or biomembranes. This can affect how the skin, lungs and tear film protect us from dehydration. This new discovery from Lund ...
Phys.org / Laser technique can quickly check mRNA packaging in lipid nanoparticles
Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology is transforming medicine by providing our cells with genetic instructions to produce proteins that help the immune system prevent or fight a wide range of diseases, including cancer and other ...
Phys.org / Tackling the global tuberculosis crisis: An emerging class of antibiotics offers hope
Researchers from the University of Sydney and the Centenary Institute have discovered how a promising class of experimental antibiotics disrupts the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), paving the way for urgently needed ...
Phys.org / Romance and sexual intimacy don't diminish with age, study suggests
A study by the University of New Hampshire challenges common assumptions about aging and intimacy, revealing that many single adults aged 60 to 83 continue to prioritize sexual activity in their romantic relationships—underscoring ...
Phys.org / Rice gene discovery could cut fertilizer use while protecting yields
Researchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances ...
Phys.org / How RNA binding selectivity arises from disordered regions
RIKEN researchers have discovered how an enzyme modifies gene expression by targeting certain stretches of messenger RNA (mRNA) while leaving others alone. This finding could contribute to the rational design of drugs that ...
Phys.org / Birds achieve sweet success: What adaptations to high-sugar diets reveal about metabolism
Anyone who has seen a hummingbird poking her beak deep into a trumpet creeper blossom, or a honeyeater using its brush-tipped tongue to extract nectar from eucalyptus flowers, has witnessed something that, from a human perspective, ...