Phys.org news

Phys.org / Global bird study reveals declining ecosystem resilience

Human-driven changes to landscapes worldwide are 'thinning out' the ecological services supplied by wild birds, eroding the functions that support stable and resilient ecosystems.

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Avalanches are of key importance to glaciers worldwide

An international research team has shown that avalanches are crucial to the survival of many glaciers worldwide. The study aims to contribute to better predictions of water resources and natural hazards in the context of ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Plants use engineering principles to push through hard soil

Across the globe, soil compaction is becoming an ever more serious challenge. Heavy vehicles and machinery in modern agriculture compress the soil to such an extent that crops struggle to grow. In many regions, the problem ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Novel mRNA therapy curbs antibiotic-resistant infections in preclinical lung models

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and collaborators have reported early success with a novel mRNA-based therapy designed to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Nov 26, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Making LAZY plants stand up: Research reveals new pathway plants use to detect gravity

A study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has revealed a previously unknown pathway plants use to detect gravity and orient the direction they grow in. Publishing in Proceedings of the National Academy ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Enzyme discovered in cyanobacteria can add phosphate groups to therapeutic peptides

Researchers from CIIMAR and the University of Helsinki have discovered a new biochemical modification in natural cyanobacterial products, revealing an unprecedented tool with promising applications in biotechnology and drug ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / What meadows reveal about the future: Spatial data can predict biodiversity loss before species disappear

Meadows once teeming with buzzing insects and colorful plants are quietly losing their diversity. But how fast is this change happening and can we detect it before species disappear? A German-Swiss research team led by Professor ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Old air samples hint at effects of climate change

Through DNA analysis of old air samples collected by the Swedish Armed Forces, researchers at Lund University in Sweden can show that spore dispersal of northern mosses has shifted over the past 35 years. It now starts several ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Drug-resistant bacteria and genes found to move freely among people, animals and the environment

By analyzing Escherichia coli (E. coli) genomes, researchers have shown that antimicrobial resistant bacteria and the genes that confer resistance move between bacterial hosts and across ecological compartments freely in ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / New microprotein can help cancer cells overcome stress

In a study published in the journal Nucleic Acid Research, a research team at Karolinska Institutet has performed a large-scale genetic screen to uncover the hidden roles of tiny proteins, so-called microproteins.

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / From inhibition to destruction: Kinase drugs found to trigger protein degradation

Protein kinases are the molecular switches of the cell. They control growth, division, communication, and survival by attaching phosphate groups to other proteins. When these switches are stuck in the "on" position, they ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Island-wide field surveys illuminate land-sea connections in Mo'orea

A massive, multi-year scientific expedition led by researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara and collaborating institutions, including the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa, determined that land use ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Biology