Phys.org news

Phys.org / Cold-triggered ion channel in bacteria may point to broader temperature-sensing mechanism

All lifeforms need to continuously adapt to temperature changes to survive. Now, Weill Cornell Medicine investigators studying a bacterial protein have identified a new mechanism of sensing cold temperatures. The finding ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / How quasars shut down star formation in the early universe

Supermassive black holes lurk at the centers of massive galaxies, including our own Milky Way. Puzzlingly, supermassive black holes more than a billion times the mass of the sun appear to exist just a few hundred million ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Roman Space Telescope poised to transform hunt for elusive neutron stars

Astronomers have long known that neutron stars, the crushed cores left behind after massive stars explode, should be scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy. However, most of them are effectively invisible. A new study ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Genetic 'bonus material' boosts gut bacterium's oxygen tolerance up to 1,000-fold

The bacterium Segatella copri is one of the most common inhabitants of the human gut. In their latest study, researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have discovered that some strains of this bacterial ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Cool beans, smart roots: Special cell helps seedlings survive drought battered and nutrient poor soils

Researchers have identified a previously unknown cell type hidden on the roots of common beans, a microscopic survival mechanism that could inform the development of more climate-resilient crops and reduce fertilizer dependence.

19 hours ago
Phys.org / How higher temperatures can benefit (or devastate) bumble bee populations

New research finds that higher temperatures can actually benefit some bumble bee species—particularly those that make subterranean nests. However, periods of extreme heat appear to offset those benefits, and may contribute ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Twisting atom-thin materials reveals new way to save computing energy

A recent study shows a new and potentially more energy-efficient way for information to be transmitted inside electronic systems, including computers and phones—without relying on electric currents or external magnetic fields.

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Dynamic catalyst interfaces offer a smarter route for converting CO₂ into formic acid

Electroreduction offers a promising route for converting CO2 into value-added chemicals using renewable electricity. Among the possible products, formic acid is particularly attractive because it is an important chemical ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Death-defying protein found in tardigrades preserves synthetic cells

A protein found only in microscopic tardigrades, one that allows them to survive extreme conditions like dehydration, can convey similar durability in synthetic cells, according to new research from University of Michigan ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Love hormone enters battle mode, exposing rivalry and group lines in Amazon study

The "love hormone" oxytocin (OT) plays a role not only in moments of intimacy but also in competitive situations. Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) have shown that OT levels increase when rivalry or clearly defined ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Quantum geometry applied to light-based systems expands toolkit for topological photonics

Quantum geometry describes quantum states in systems with changing system parameters, such as an electron spinning in a magnetic field whose direction is slowly changing. The state of the electron evolves, and this change ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Light without electricity? Glowing algae could make it possible

Imagine a sea of glowing blue lights pulsing to the beat of the music. But instead of glow sticks filled with toxic chemicals, the luminescence comes from living algae, shimmering on demand. In a new study published in Science ...

23 hours ago