Phys.org news
Phys.org / Light-responsive hydrogels enable fast and precise control of soft materials
Researchers at Tampere University have recently demonstrated that light can be used to precisely reshape soft materials without mechanical contact. They have developed light-responsive hydrogel thin films that enable programmable ...
Phys.org / Just a few species can drive a plant community's response to warming temperatures
A new analysis of experimental data led by the University of Michigan has unveiled insights into why and how plant communities are changing their makeup to survive in warmer temperatures. Thanks to field studies of plant ...
Phys.org / AI speeds chemists' search for better disinfectants
Chemists and computer scientists tapped AI to find new disinfectants to combat the growing threat of dangerous "superbugs." Their computational-experimental framework for developing quaternary ammonium compounds, or QACs, ...
Phys.org / Environmental DNA in NYC's East River reveals clues about nearby human and animal residents
Sequencing environmental DNA—or eDNA—from the East River in New York City can effectively monitor human diets and local wildlife, as well as the river's fish populations, report Mark Stoeckle and Jesse Ausubel of The Rockefeller ...
Phys.org / Single-molecule method rapidly screens custom enzymes from vast mutant libraries
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms. They are widely applied in industries such as food production, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. However, for commercial use, natural enzymes ...
Phys.org / Molecular quantum nanosensors reveal temperature and radical signals inside living cells
Researchers at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan, and The University of Tokyo, Japan, in collaboration with Kyushu University, Japan, have developed a new class of biocompatible molecular ...
Phys.org / Molecular probe upgrade could make off-target drug effects easier to measure
A UCLA-led international research collaboration has unveiled a new technology that may help scientists better understand how small molecules, including many drugs, bind to proteins. The invention works with an existing lab ...
Phys.org / An anomaly in global sea level rise is explained by deep ocean heating
Climate scientists like to keep their accounting books neat and balanced. As climate change alters energy flows all across the planet, which in turn causes effects like sea level rise, ice melt and more, keeping close track ...
Phys.org / Ancient farming clues may finally expose where humanity's most important wheat first emerged
The exact origin of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is still a mystery, but researchers believe they are edging closer to the source of one of the most important food staples worldwide. Using genetic studies and ancient plant ...
Phys.org / Scorpions' weapons are fortified with metal to suit their needs, research shows
Scorpions wield some of the natural world's most formidable built-in weapons, from crushing pincers to venomous stingers. Scientists have long known that these structures contain trace metals that strengthen them, but only ...
Phys.org / Invisible fertility crisis: Chemicals and climate change threaten reproduction across species
The rise in infertility is not limited to humans, as environmental stressors are quietly undermining the reproductive potential of different forms of life. A recent review published in npj Emerging Contaminants investigated ...
Phys.org / ALMA reveals giant molecular clouds across Needle galaxy's full disk
An international team of astronomers has employed the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to perform high-resolution observations of the Needle galaxy. Results of the new observational campaign, presented ...
