Phys.org news
Phys.org / Low pH outside cells rewires transport network and displaces Golgi apparatus, study finds
A new study led by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) describes the mechano-chemical mechanism by which the acidity of the cellular environment destabilizes microtubules, the "avenues" that organize internal cellular ...
Phys.org / Stretching and squeezing drive the timing of glacial meltwater release
As meltwater drains through and beneath a glacier, it can alter how the ice flows and whether it breaks apart. Meltwater can also cause feedback that leads to more ice loss. Understanding when and how glacial meltwater drains ...
Phys.org / It looks like rice's own defense, but this fungal trick turns a lifesaving response into a crop-killing weapon
For about half the global population, rice is the staple food. Yet every year, a fungal disease—rice blast—destroys harvests that could feed 60 million people. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have ...
Phys.org / Collective vibrations unlock fast ion flow in superionic crystals
In the race to develop safer, faster-charging solid-state batteries and more efficient thermoelectric conversion technologies, engineers and scientists have long faced a fundamental challenge: how to ensure ions move through ...
Phys.org / Timing in early brain growth may explain why closely related mammals build strikingly different cortexes
The outer regions of the brain, the cortex, have specific layers of different cells—neurons—that are similarly ordered among all mammals, from tiny mouse brains to huge elephant brains. However, the proportions of different ...
Phys.org / Protein shape mapping could detect diseases before symptoms appear
A University of Mississippi professor and his team have developed a technology that may one day lead to the early diagnosis of juvenile diabetes and CTE caused by traumatic brain injuries. The technology allows researchers ...
Phys.org / DNA reveals hidden UV defense network that dissipates energy in femtoseconds
New details of how DNA protects itself from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation show a hidden network of ultrafast molecular reactions that help prevent damage before it can trigger mutations that might lead to cancer, according ...
Phys.org / Ice may release more iron than climate models predict
Most people think of ice as frozen and lifeless, but research at Umeå University shows the opposite. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates that ice actively speeds up the ...
Phys.org / Unsealing cells' 'black box' strategy to regulate gene activation
While scientists have known for more than two decades that all cells use a strategy called RNA interference to regulate gene expression, a new study is the first to describe how a specific protein manages the step-by-step ...
Phys.org / Tiny sesame sea slug species discovered in the waters of northern Taiwan
Translucent, speckled, and barely the size of a grain of rice, a new species of sea slug has been identified in the coastal waters of Keelung, Taiwan. Because of its minute size and distinctive black and yellow markings, ...
Phys.org / Tropical butterflies 'hedge bets' on reproduction as extreme seasons reshape Amazon life
New research from Queen Mary University of London shows how extreme seasonal patterns are causing rainforest butterflies to adapt their reproductive strategies at a rapid pace, with implications for species resilience under ...
Phys.org / After the fires: Protecting LA's trees while learning lessons for the future
Southern California is emerging from yet another round of wildfires just as the wildfire season gets underway. It's been less than 18 months since catastrophic wildfires hit the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
