Phys.org news
Phys.org / Physicists maneuver DNA molecules using electrical fields, offering real-time control
Researchers in McGill's Department of Physics have developed a new device that can trap and study DNA molecules without touching or damaging them. The device, which uses carefully tuned electric fields, offers scientists ...
Phys.org / Why some human GII.4 noroviruses are better than others at infecting cells
Human noroviruses, GII.4 strains in particular, are the chief drivers of acute viral gastroenteritis around the world, a condition for which there are no vaccines or antivirals. Understanding how these viruses enter cells ...
Phys.org / Researchers develop fat-like nanoparticles to treat fatty liver disease
Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), have developed a novel RNA-based therapy that could transform treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis ...
Phys.org / Vaccine for deadly elephant herpesvirus found safe and effective in early trial
The world's first vaccine trial against elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV)—a leading cause of death in young Asian elephants—is safe and triggers a strong virus-fighting immune response, according to an international ...
Phys.org / Key enzyme identified in final step of iridoid biosynthesis in plants
Iridoids are a widespread and evolutionarily ancient class of plant secondary metabolites belonging to the terpenes. They occur in thousands of plant species and play an important role in defense and other interactions between ...
Phys.org / Bearded Vulture nests found to have hoards of cultural artifacts—some up to 650 years old
Many people have probably seen birds picking up small pieces of man-made materials, like strips of a plastic bag or paper litter, and taking them into their nest. This behavior appears to be fairly widespread among birds. ...
Phys.org / Fossilized ear bones rewrite the history of freshwater fish
When saltwater fish long ago evolved to live in fresh water, many of them also evolved a more sophisticated hearing system, including middle ear bones similar to those in humans.
Phys.org / Ancient viral DNA is essential for human embryo development, study shows
Our ancient past isn't always buried history. When it comes to our DNA, nearly 9% of the human genome is made up of leftover genetic material from ancient viruses (called endogenous retroviruses or ERVs) that infected our ...
Phys.org / Six billion tons a second: Rogue planet found growing at record rate
Astronomers have identified an enormous "growth spurt" in a so-called rogue planet. Unlike the planets in our solar system, these objects do not orbit stars, free-floating on their own instead. The new observations, made ...
Phys.org / Early humans dined on giant sloths and other Ice Age giants, archaeologists find
What did early humans like to eat? The answer, according to a team of archaeologists in Argentina, is extinct megafauna, such as giant sloths and giant armadillos. In a study published in the journal Science Advances, researchers ...
Phys.org / Molecular qubits can communicate at telecom frequencies
A team of scientists from the University of Chicago, the University of California Berkeley, Argonne National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed molecular qubits that bridge the gap between ...
Phys.org / Floquet Chern insulators based on nonlinear photonic crystals achieved
Over the past few years, engineers and material scientists have been trying to devise new optical systems in which light particles (i.e., photons) can move freely and in useful ways, irrespective of defects and imperfections. ...
