Phys.org news
Phys.org / A complicated future for a methane-cleansing molecule
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that is second only to carbon dioxide in driving up global temperatures. But it doesn't linger in the atmosphere for long thanks to molecules called hydroxyl radicals, which are known ...
Phys.org / Magnetic microbots steer quantum sensors inside living cells
Cells are squishy and soft. Tiny nanometer-sized particles such as quantum sensors cannot move freely inside them due to viscous drag, which makes sensing challenging. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) ...
Phys.org / Alternative pathways in proteasome biogenesis deciphered
A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Potsdam and the University of Cologne has deciphered the step-by-step assembly of the eukaryotic proteasome. Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells have a clearly ...
Phys.org / Satellite-driven model provides 'more realistic and reliable' predictions of sand and dust storm emissions
The technology used to predict sand and dust storm (SDS) severity has for decades systematically overestimated when and where sediment is transported across Earth's surface, a new study shows. Existing models, which draw ...
Phys.org / New NMR method allows the observation of chalcogen bonds
Toward the right side of the periodic table below oxygen, are the chalcogens, or "ore-forming" elements. The chalcogens that occur naturally, including sulfur, selenium and tellurium, are all somehow involved in biological ...
Phys.org / A much more sensitive fentanyl detection strip, thanks to physics
Following the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, lateral flow assays (LFAs)—the category of test strips in which the presence or lack of a pink line indicates whether a specific molecule, like a drug or a virus, has been ...
Phys.org / A tiny protein tweak, finally traceable: How light-based tagging targets pyroglutamate
Amino acids are like Lego blocks—they can be linked together to form complex structures called proteins. Unlike Legos, however, there are only 20 different types of amino acids available to build a protein. Proteins depend ...
Phys.org / Fish gill-inspired panels reveal path to efficient thermal mixing
A fascination with fish gills has led researchers at Cornell to develop a bio-inspired approach to mixing heat and molecules in fluids—findings that could inform future biomedical devices, heat exchangers and soft robotics.
Phys.org / Superconducting quantum processor performs well with significantly less wiring
Quantum computers, computing systems that process information using quantum mechanical effects, could outperform classical computers on some computational tasks. These computers rely on qubits, the basic units of quantum ...
Phys.org / Self-cleaning fabric could eliminate the need for detergent
Detergents may begin their journey by cleaning our clothes, but they end up contaminating the environment, flowing into rivers, ponds, and oceans, where they severely disrupt aquatic animal life. Even after wastewater treatment, ...
Phys.org / Quantum computers could have a fundamental limit after all
The performance of quantum computers could cap out after around 1,000 qubits, according to a new analysis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Through new calculations, Tim Palmer at the University ...
Phys.org / How soil microbes may control the future of our planet
The soil beneath our feet is a huge carbon bank storing up to approximately three times more carbon than the entire atmosphere. That makes it a significant player in the future of our climate. If even a small fraction of ...