Phys.org news
Phys.org / The evolutionary pressure behind sexual asymmetry revealed in yeast cell study
A major transition in evolution is the shift from asexual to sexual reproduction in early organisms. But why would a yeast cell, which usually reproduces asexually, choose to mate with a very different partner in times of ...
Phys.org / Sea stars offer rare view of how embryonic tubes become complex organs
Biologists have long puzzled over how organs develop into their final shapes, and the nearly transparent bodies of young sea stars may offer a unique window into the organ development process.
Phys.org / Molecular nanostructures can be activated using ultrasound
Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have taken an important step toward developing intelligent molecular materials. The team headed by Dr. Bernd M. Schmidt (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular ...
Phys.org / Survival comes at a price: Frog study links salt adaptation to increased risk of disease
Over generations, a small North American frog has learned how to survive in a world that's getting increasingly saltier. But new research from the University of Missouri suggests that adaptation comes with an unexpected trade-off.
Phys.org / New workflow tool gives scientists a clearer view of how DNA is regulated
Researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at NUS have developed a new method that allows scientists to better understand how DNA is organized and regulated inside cells. The study, published ...
Phys.org / Neutral lipids enable precision control over supramolecular polymerization
The formation of supramolecular polymers within living cells is an emerging strategy for regulating cellular functions, and lipid droplets (LDs) are promising environments for such processes. LDs are cellular organelles composed ...
Phys.org / Alpine butterflies track warming uphill, but habitat loss may pose bigger risk
A new study published in the journal Alpine Entomology has found that alpine butterflies in the Swiss National Park are closely matching the pace of local warming in their range shift to higher elevations.
Phys.org / Scattered bronze bells in Chinese lord's 2,600-year-old tomb point to ritual deactivation
When archaeologists opened the 2,600-year-old tomb of an ancient Chinese lord, they discovered his magnificent bronze bells had been scattered, their wooden hangings broken. But the most mysterious part of all: This was apparently ...
Phys.org / Rare 309-million-year-old fossils suggest early tetrapods developed without tadpole phase
Scientists have long posited that the earliest water animals to transition to land had amphibious tadpole features, going through a metamorphosis akin to that of today's frogs.
Phys.org / Japan space probe skims asteroid in test for planetary defense
A Japanese space probe performed a flyby of a near-Earth asteroid on Sunday in a test mission for technology that could help protect the planet from space rocks.
Phys.org / Controlling magnetic chirality could help memory pack in more data
Magnetic storage devices, like a computer's hard disk drive, utilize magnets to represent binary data. However, as these devices are downsized, stray magnetic fields generated by individual magnetic components can interact ...
Phys.org / Rats show empathy, according to model
A rat first frees a cagemate rat and then shares food with it. Is this animal just as empathetic as humans? In an American study from 2011, researchers observed that rats first freed their fellow rats from a cage and then ...
