Phys.org news

Phys.org / Pond-dwelling microalga exposes a parallel track for RNA processing

Biology textbooks explain that cells follow a universal rule when processing gene transcripts to make proteins. Non-coding snippets of RNA are bracketed by a guanine-thymine (GT) nucleotide sequence on one end and an adenine-guanine ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Newfound terrestrial crocodile fossil redraws the map of Europe in the age of the dinosaurs

A research team led by Dr. Márton Rabi from the Biogeology Department of the University of Tübingen, together with Máté Szegszárdi and Professor Attila Ősi from the Hungarian Eötvös Loránd University, is challenging ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists clock a driving factor in the evolution of error correction

All complex biological systems—like the DNA, RNA and proteins constantly being copied and built within our cells—are prone to errors. That means as life evolved to be more elaborate, it also had to evolve error-correcting ...

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Multifractal patterns across deep time: What measurement density reveals about Earth's history

Much of our understanding of Earth's past is derived from stratigraphic records exposed in rock outcrops or recovered from drilled cores. These records span immense time intervals, from thousands to billions of years, and ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists successfully harvest chickpeas from 'moon dirt'

As the U.S. plans to return to the moon with the upcoming Artemis II mission, a question endures: What will future lunar explorers eat? According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, the answer might be ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Molecular 'catapult' fires electrons at the limits of physics

Electrons can be "kicked across" solar materials at almost the fastest speed nature allows, scientists have discovered, challenging long-held theories about how solar energy systems work. The finding could help researchers ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / How Japanese red elder plants save two lives with one fruit drop

Japanese red elder plants safeguard their own survival when they drop fruits infested by Heterhelus beetle larvae, as well as the survival of these larvae. A Kobe University study changes the narrative on how a plant and ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Burned permafrost peatlands release carbon for years after wildfires, researchers find

In the face of climate change, permafrost peatland wildfires could play more of a role in the destructive cycle of global warming, University of Alberta research suggests.

16 hours ago
Phys.org / 3D imagery helps bring world's ant diversity to life

For more than a decade, Evan Economo's lab has been using micro-CT machines to scan insect specimens. The resulting X-ray images help researchers study the form and structure of insects—a subfield of entomology known as ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / ESA's Mars orbiters watch solar superstorm hit the red planet

What happens when a solar superstorm hits Mars? Thanks to the European Space Agency's Mars orbiters, we now know: glitching spacecraft and a supercharged upper atmosphere.

20 hours ago
Phys.org / The secret lives of catalysts: How microscopic networks power reactions

Catalysts are essential to modern industry, accelerating reactions used to produce everything from fertilizers and fuels to medicines and hydrogen energy. But until now, scientists could not directly observe how reactions ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Thermogenetics: How proteins are controllable by heat

Protein activity can be precisely regulated via subtle changes in temperature using heat-sensitive switches. Underlying this capability is a novel modular design strategy developed by researchers at the Institute of Pharmacy ...

23 hours ago