Phys.org news
Phys.org / New synthetic origin of replication lets multiple plasmids coexist in one bacterial cell
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," goes the old adage, which Rice University professor James Chappell completely ignored in a recent Nature Communications publication. In the study, Chappell describes an innovation in plasmids, ...
Phys.org / New model finds complex earthquake patterns of the Phlegraean Fields near Naples
The Phlegraean Fields volcanic complex, located beneath the metropolitan area of Naples—a city of 900,000 inhabitants in Italy—has been rising increasingly since 2005, accompanied by a growing number of small earthquakes. ...
Phys.org / DNA shape explains crucial gene-therapy challenges
CRISPR is a powerful DNA-editing tool that has underpinned huge advancements in human health care in the last decade. It is a precision tool, but is not perfect, and misplaced DNA edits can compromise safety and efficacy, ...
Phys.org / Quantum computer accurately simulates real magnetic materials, reproducing national laboratory data
Studying and designing novel materials is a central application of quantum mechanics. Chemists, materials scientists, and physicists focus on subtle interactions in quantum materials and to uncover them they rely on sophisticated ...
Phys.org / Unlocking scalable entanglement will enable next-generation quantum computing
Quantum computing promises to transform our world in rapid, radical and revolutionary ways: solving in seconds problems that would take classical computers years, accelerating the discovery of new medicines, creating sustainable ...
Phys.org / Why cells respond 'incorrectly' in old age
Some of the signs of aging in human cells originate in the cell nucleus, because the packaged form of DNA changes with age. This has now been demonstrated by PSI researchers. It means that older cells can no longer react ...
Phys.org / Beyond lipid nanoparticles: How custom polymers and AI may reshape gene therapies
Nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA play a central role in gene therapies and vaccines. They store and transmit biological information. In order for them to work in the body, they must enter the cells using chemical carrier ...
Phys.org / Programmable superconducting diode can flow on command
A team of researchers led by the University of Pittsburgh demonstrated a programmable superconducting diode at the LaAlO3/KTaO3 (LAO/KTO) interface, an advance that holds potential to enhance/help usher in the future of next-generation ...
Phys.org / Wild squirrels consistently climb higher for better snacks, researchers find
Squirrels are usually willing to climb higher to reach their favorite foods, shows new research appearing in Animal Behaviour. Extensive lab studies have found that animals "devalue" rewards that cost extra time and effort—for ...
Phys.org / Succulents as role models: How they balance photosynthesis and water loss so efficiently
A research team led by the University of Bern has decoded a mechanism by which an inconspicuous succulent regulates the uptake of carbon dioxide via the leaf surface so finely that it receives enough for photosynthesis without ...
Phys.org / Tiny rotating hairs inside a microscopic cavity decide where your organs will grow
Heart to the left. Liver to the right. That's where you'll find these organs in a healthy human body, but surprisingly, in some people, the heart is on the right and the liver on the left. This normal or abnormal asymmetry ...
Phys.org / Scientists uncover the secret behind perfectly 3D preserved 'sea reptile' fossils
Scientists at Curtin University have solved a long-standing mystery about how some of the world's best-preserved fossils formed in ancient oxygen-free ocean floor settings. The research, published in Communications Earth ...
