Phys.org news
Phys.org / First complete songbird genome exposes missing genes and chromosome architecture
The zebra finch is one of the best-studied songbirds and a model for understanding the biology and neuroscience of vocal learning. Now, researchers have produced the first complete genome assembly of the species, revealing ...
Phys.org / Atomic view of Alzheimer's disease peptide could inform new drugs
One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of a peptide in the brain known as amyloid beta. A new study published in Nature Communications on July 22 has uncovered the atomic structure of the peptide ...
Phys.org / Liquid nitrogen may have recently flowed across Pluto's heart-shaped glacier
A new study led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) provides evidence that liquid nitrogen is rising to Pluto's surface through cracks at the northern edge of Sputnik Planitia, part of the massive heart-shaped glacier ...
Phys.org / Bioengineers develop biochemical halo to cloak insulin-producing cells from body defenses
A protein known as interleukin 10 (IL-10) is the lynchpin of a new method to protect transplanted cells from host immune system attacks. Rice University researchers engineered a living factory to produce a localized biochemical ...
Phys.org / Light-activated nanoparticles could help surgeons find and destroy brain cancer remnants
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer. It's difficult to treat because tumor cells infiltrate the surrounding brain tissue, making it hard for surgeons to remove the cancer completely without damaging healthy ...
Phys.org / Your next handbag could start with mushrooms
The search for leather alternatives has led researchers somewhere unexpected: fungi. Although traditional leather is durable, producing it requires animal agriculture, which carries negative environmental impacts. Meanwhile, ...
Phys.org / Powerhouses for fake meat: Muscle protein can now be grown in chloroplasts of lettuce and tobacco plants
Livestock farming requires valuable land to grow fodder, uses vast amounts of freshwater and contributes to global warming through methane and nitrous oxide emissions. And, for many consumers it is important to prevent animal ...
Phys.org / Interlocking molecular propellers create stable 'islands' in artificial lipid membranes
Cells are enclosed by a cell membrane, a sophisticated structure mainly made of lipids that is vital for fundamental biological processes. Artificial lipid membranes have many practical applications, such as drug delivery, ...
Phys.org / Sizing errors can hide true nanoparticle behavior
Nanoscience, which studies small objects, has a big problem. According to a team of scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the field confronts a pervasive data analysis error that can give ...
Phys.org / Astronomers catch massive star's death from the first explosive moment
In March 2026, the Einstein Probe detected a brief flash of soft X-rays emitted from a galaxy about 500 million light-years away. The flash, dubbed EP260321a, immediately triggered a worldwide observing campaign. Within an ...
Phys.org / Tiny vortices discovered on the sun's surface
Researchers from the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO), the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany, and the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) in the U.S. have made ...
Phys.org / Using the Earth's magnetic field to hunt for axions and dark photons
Dark matter's existence is all but certain—astronomers believe it makes up about a quarter of the universe's total energy content—yet its true identity has eluded us for decades. Two of the leading candidates for dark matter ...
