Phys.org news

Phys.org / Researchers use AI to develop RNA-based synthetic NAND switch in living cells

An interdisciplinary research team from two working groups at the Center for Synthetic Biology at TU Darmstadt has developed the first RNA-based genetic switch that precisely replicates the logical behavior of a NAND gate, ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / DNA barcoding reveals which gene-therapy nanoparticles reach targets in vivo

Drug delivery researchers have vastly improved the potential of genetic therapies by overcoming the challenge of consistently getting genes and gene-editing tools where they need to be within cells. Findings of the study ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Mangrove forests are short of breath, researchers warn

The tidal environment of mangrove forests serves as nurseries for many fish species. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have measured carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in 23 of the world's mangrove areas. The study, ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / New research shows path to affordable water in fast-growing cities

By 2050, up to half the world's urban population will face water scarcity. A new model of water supply, demand, and policies in a drought-prone city of 7 million in India shows how policies could prevent the poor from bearing ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / 3D-printed rattlesnake reveals how the rattle is a warning signal

A team of researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso has uncovered new evidence explaining why the rattlesnake's rattle—one of nature's most iconic warning signals—has persisted and proven so effective across ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Fiber setup compresses mid-infrared pulses to 187 femtoseconds using just 80 watts

Ultrashort mid-infrared (mid-IR) laser pulses are essential for applications such as molecular spectroscopy, nonlinear microscopy, and biomedical imaging, but their generation often relies on complex and power-intensive systems ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Golden lancehead genome reveals how genes responsible for venom toxins evolved

A research team led by scientists at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, has completed the most extensive genetic sequencing of a jararaca viper to date. The focus of the study was the genome of the golden lancehead ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Titanium complexes cleanly edit the core skeleton of highly stable organic compounds

Multi-titanium hydrides can selectively snip the strong structural bonds of stable organic molecules called pyridines, RIKEN researchers have shown. This discovery could guide designing catalysts for applications in multiple ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Simple 'cocktail' of amino acids dramatically boosts power of mRNA therapies and CRISPR gene editing

Lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, best known as the delivery vehicle for the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines received by billions of people, are now at the center of a much larger medical revolution. Researchers are racing to use them ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Still standing but mostly dead: Recovery of dying coral reef in Moorea stalls

In April 2019, a marine heat wave struck a coral reef on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, killing much of the coral and the beneficial algae that colonized it. This "bleaching" event reduced live coral populations ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Corpses leave clues behind in the soil long after they're gone

It is not uncommon for a body to be moved after a murder, usually to hide or eliminate evidence. And while the Arizona desert may seem like the perfect place to commit such a crime, a new study shows that a cadaver can still ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Acoustic driving enables controlled condensation of light and matter on chip

An international research team led by Alexander Kuznetsov at the Paul Drude Institute for Solid State Electronics (PDI) in Berlin has demonstrated a fundamentally new way to control the condensation of hybrid light-matter ...

Mar 11, 2026