Phys.org news
Phys.org / First complete map of world's seagrass offers warnings and hope for conservation
It's time we gave seagrass the credit it's due. This hero of a plant protects coastlines, stores vast amounts of carbon and supports ecosystems that people and wildlife depend on. But we don't often hear about it when it ...
Phys.org / Electron buildup at 2D interface reveals how Janus semiconductors form at room temperature
Researchers at Tohoku University have uncovered the long-standing mystery behind the synthesis of Janus two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, paving the way for more precise manufacturing of materials used in future electronics ...
Phys.org / From virtue to vice: How the morality of popular music lyrics has changed since the 1960s
Popular music may be reflecting a growing culture of vices, according to new research from the Center for Digital Music at Queen Mary University of London. The analysis of musical evolution found that song lyrics have become ...
Phys.org / Scientists catch classical space-time crystals moving like Majorana quasiparticles
A research team from Hiroshima University, the University of Colorado, and other collaborators have demonstrated that space-time crystals—exotic structures that, under external drive, loop endlessly through both space and ...
Phys.org / By making key signaling molecules called β-arrestins into druggable targets, scientists crack long-standing challenge
To function normally, nearly every cell in the human body relies on G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to receive and send signals. That's why GPCRs are targeted by roughly one-third of all FDA-approved drugs.
Phys.org / Ultrafast X-rays allow researchers to 'watch' how molecules rearrange during a chemical reaction controlled by light
Since the 1980s, researchers have sought to use laser light to control chemical reactions relevant to photochemistry, catalysis and light-responsive materials. But this technique, known as coherent control, has a blind spot: ...
Phys.org / CleanFinder brings browser-based genome editing analysis to labs without coding
Genome editing lets scientists rewrite DNA, the instruction manual inside every living cell, with a precision that was unthinkable a generation ago. Technologies such as CRISPR have made this almost routine, and its uses ...
Phys.org / Axolotl-inspired skin matrix may help heal wounds with less scarring
Researchers in Taiwan have developed a cell-free extracellular matrix material from axolotl skin that helped mouse burn wounds close faster and show signs of reduced fibrotic scarring. The findings suggest that one of nature's ...
Phys.org / Piecing the puzzle of how proteins fit together: Simpler model outperforms leading methods
How the proteins in our bodies bind together to form protein complexes plays a critical role in numerous cell functions—staving off diseases, for instance, or transporting ions across cell membranes. A better understanding ...
Phys.org / Do hyenas eat livestock and rhinos? Behavioral biologists investigate a surprisingly charming population
For conservation and the management of human–wildlife conflicts, it is of great interest to know which species are eaten by carnivores. Scientists from the Ngorongoro Hyena Project at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ...
Phys.org / Sugar-coated nanoparticles show promise for treating most aggressive form of brain cancer
Researchers at Oregon State University have potentially found a new way to treat the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma, whose two-year survival rate is less than 30%.
Phys.org / Lavatory shaft reveals the cost of 17th‑century vanity in Germany
Four goose skulls were pulled from a former toilet shaft in Brandenburg, Germany, each of them riddled with strange holes. As it turns out, these holes were the telltale signs of fancy feathered crests, making them the first ...