Phys.org news

Phys.org / Online game uncovers why tiger stripes work best in sunshine and tall grass

Scientists have used an online game to discover the secrets of animal camouflage—such as why tigers have stripes. The study, by the universities of Exeter and Bristol, reveals that high-contrast markings like tiger stripes ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Revolving doors and efficient engines: How proteins escape a molecular tangle

Trying to untangle a knot in a mess of strings can be frustrating and time-consuming. But not so for molecular machines—molecules that convert chemical energy into mechanical work and motion. Machines from the AAA+ family, ...

15 hours ago
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 ...

14 hours ago
Phys.org / Neolithic fur production: A 7,000-year-old pit with beaver remains discovered near Alsleben

In advance of the construction of the SuedOstLink high-voltage direct current transmission line, archaeological investigations were carried out in the Salzland district by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / How the Ampelomeryx grew: Discovering the life history of a giraffe relative that lived in Catalonia

A research team from the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) has led the paleohistological study of Ampelomeryx ginsburgi, a giraffomorph ruminant from the Middle Miocene recovered at the Els Casots ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / AI discovery reveals DNA isn't locked away in cells after all

Every cell in the human body squeezes over six feet of DNA into a minuscule speck invisible to the naked eye—like compressing a whole house into a single sugar cube. In order to fit in a cell and remain organized, DNA is ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Observing exotic quasiparticle states in kagome superconductor CsV₃Sb₅

A research team led by Prof. Hao Ning of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Anhui University and the University of Science and Technology of China, has identified ...

17 hours ago
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 ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Mini-antibodies reactivate the 'guardian of the genome'

Each year, 20 million people are diagnosed with cancer. Various organs can be affected, and cancer types sometimes differ greatly at the cellular and molecular level. In about half of all cases, however, the protein p53 is ...

18 hours ago
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 ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Cities rethink beekeeping as honeybee boom may strain wild bees

The rising popularity of urban beekeeping has raised concerns about honeybee well-being and the impact they might have on wild bee populations in cities. A collaborative study by beekeepers, political stakeholders and research ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / The battle of the sexes in the egg: How early nuclear rivalry helps embryos develop properly

The sperm and the egg cell's nuclei compete for size directly after fertilization and this is necessary for proper embryonic development. A mouse study with Kobe University participation finally gives meaning to a phenomenon ...

19 hours ago