Phys.org news
Phys.org / Consistency-based rewards could build lasting cooperation better than punishing free-riders
A vaccine only protects a whole community if enough people get it, including those who would stay safe anyway once their neighbors are covered. The same tension runs through climate action and social movements: The shared ...
Phys.org / Webb reveals oxygen-rich dust and water surviving near Milky Way's central black hole
Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers has discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky ...
Phys.org / Early farmers' larger grains may reflect rainfall, not genetic selection
A new archaeobotanical study by researchers from the University of Oxford and Kiel University (CAU) has revealed that increases in cereal grain size at the dawn of agriculture, more than 11,000 years ago, were initially driven ...
Phys.org / Under-the-radar creeks could be sweeping carbon out of salt marshes
Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are alternately inundated and exposed by tides. These marshes, like other coastal ecosystems, are hotspots of carbon cycling.
Phys.org / Twisted magnetic field around newborn star confirms decades-old jet theory
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is a partner, have captured the first direct, high-resolution ...
Phys.org / Humans have a 'highly abundant' number of stable proteins that are not all predicted by genetic code
In 1968, the American biochemist and geneticist Marshall Nirenberg and his colleagues won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their work deciphering how an organism's proteins are directly linked to its genetic ...
Phys.org / Scientists uncover a hidden mechanism that drives RNA synthesis
Scientists have long been fascinated by two promising classes of antibiotics that disable RNA polymerase (RNAP). They knew that these drugs could grind gene expression to a halt in several pathogens, including the bacterium ...
Phys.org / DNA origami nanosyringe actively transports molecules into synthetic cells
Transporting molecules across biological membranes is essential for life. In nature, this can occur through passive transport, known as diffusion. "Biological systems often use mechanical motion to accomplish tasks that cannot ...
Phys.org / Egyptian blue in Iron Age Iran points to ancient connections
Egyptian blue, considered the world's earliest synthetic pigment, was prized for its stable blue hues and served as a common blue paint in Egypt as early as 5,000 years ago, as well as the base material for small items such ...
Phys.org / Toxoplasma parasite reveals an unusual strategy for surviving crowded environments in infected cells
Toxoplasma gondii, or Toxoplasma, is a parasite that infects hundreds of millions of people around the world. Although cases are often mild, it can cause severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems and developing ...
Phys.org / Oral nanomedicine improves cancer immunotherapy by harnessing gut bacterial metabolite
A joint research team—led by professor Young Seok Cho from the School of Medicine, alongside professor James J. Moon from the University of Michigan—has developed the world's first oral, microbiome-based nanomedicine. By ...
Phys.org / Rescued platypuses quickly return to normal lives after five months in captivity
Platypuses rescued during a severe drought quickly returned to their old routines after being released back into the wild, suggesting emergency rescues can help protect vulnerable populations.
