Phys.org news

Phys.org / Millions of atoms, shifting bonds—new software brings living chemistry into view

Chemical reactions drive life. They ensure that cells obtain energy, proteins perform their functions, and DNA changes under certain conditions. However, many of these processes occur on extremely small scales—so small and ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Elusive tularemia proteins reveal possible treatment target in rare tick-borne disease

Tularemia is a rare but highly infectious disease caused by Francisella tularensis, a bacterium that can evade immune defenses. Symptoms of infection can include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and—in some cases—pneumonia. What ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Wildfire-driven deforestation rates in California among highest in world

California has one of the highest rates of wildfire-driven deforestation in the world, and the trend has accelerated over the past three decades, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study, published ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Engineered soil bacterial protein kills colorectal cancer cells by targeting their mitochondria

Researchers at Umeå University have turned a protein from soil bacteria into a potential new weapon against colorectal cancer. Their study published in Cell Death Discovery shows how an engineered bacterial protein can trigger ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / DNA's physical form helps direct gyrase activity and could reshape antibiotic design

New analytical methods developed at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions have increased our understanding of how bacteria manage DNA. The methods have enabled researchers to uncover how the sequence, ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Beneath Arctic ice, a vast fossil fuel footprint is colliding with Indigenous lands and wildlife

Arctic fossil fuel development shows significant overlaps with Indigenous communities and ecologically sensitive areas, which might support calls from some scientists to keep Arctic fossil fuels in the ground, according to ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Chalk-stream salmon could become an official sub-species

Chalk-stream salmon should be officially classified as a sub-species, new research suggests. Scientists from the University of Exeter and INRAe (France) carried out detailed genetic testing of salmon from 42 rivers in England, ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / First direct nanomagnet measurement finds switching attempts far slower than long-assumed

A compass always points north—or does it? Magnets normally maintain a stable direction of magnetization, pointing from south to north (S→N). However, this direction can change under strong magnetic fields or heat. For example, ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / What's in a name? Study finds two dahlia-damaging viruses are variants of same species

For decades, two different viruses were believed to be responsible for a common, untreatable disease in dahlias, a colorful, high-value flower grown worldwide. Virologists at Washington State University have now learned that ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / ATLAS sets record limits on Higgs boson's self-interaction

One of the biggest open questions in particle physics today is how the Higgs boson interacts with itself. This "self-coupling" could help explain the evolution of the early universe and the mechanism that gives mass to elementary ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Turning vibrations into value—a new catalyst converts CO₂ into useful CO

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a catalyst that uses vibrational energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO), an important industrial feedstock. The work, published in the Journal ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Hidden nest cameras debunk long-standing myth about how cuckoos lay their eggs

An international team of ornithologists has overturned one of the oldest assumptions in natural history by directly documenting how common cuckoos lay their eggs in host nests located inside cavities. The findings, published ...

23 hours ago