Phys.org news
Phys.org / Tracing a path through photosynthesis to food security
The energy that plants capture from sunlight through photosynthesis provides the source of nearly all of humanity's food. Yet the process of photosynthesis has inefficiencies that limit crop productivity, especially in a ...
Phys.org / Orca tail dolphins to hunt salmon—and may share the catch
Killer whales or orca (Orcinus orca) have been observed hunting with Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) in the waters off British Columbia, Canada, and sharing fish scraps with them after making a kill, ...
Phys.org / Twisting spins: Researchers explore chemical boundaries to create new magnetic material
Florida State University researchers have created a new crystalline material with unusual magnetic patterns that could be used for breakthroughs in data storage and quantum technologies.
Phys.org / Lab-developed mosquitoes prevent malaria parasite development, paving way for future field trials
In a new study published in Nature, scientists have successfully developed genetically modified mosquitoes in Tanzania that block the transmission of malaria. The team includes researchers from the Ifakara Health Institute ...
Phys.org / How extreme weather events affect agricultural trade between US states
The U.S. is largely self-sufficient in agricultural food production, supported by a well-developed storage and interstate trade system. However, extreme weather events put increasing pressure on agriculture, potentially impacting ...
Phys.org / A biochip built for the next pandemic can test dozens of viral antigens at once
In 2020, as scientists around the world were racing to understand COVID-19, Prof. Roy Bar-Ziv and his team at the Weizmann Institute of Science started developing a DNA chip that could not only quickly show how our immune ...
Phys.org / Scientists teach helices to switch shapes
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä have discovered a simple way to program synthetic molecules so they can form specific spiral-like structures by embedding instructions directly into their sequence. This breakthrough ...
Phys.org / Warblers borrow color-related genes from evolutionary neighbors, study finds
Wood warblers, also called New World warblers, are some of the most colorful birds in North America, with more than a hundred species in the family ranging in color from yellow, orange and red to blue, green and pink. A new ...
Phys.org / Canary Islands may be 'missing link' in global sea urchin killer pandemic
Sea urchins are ecosystem engineers, the marine equivalent of mega-herbivores on land. By grazing and shredding seaweed and seagrass, they control algal growth and promote the survival of slow-growing organisms like corals ...
Phys.org / Hidden fuel for ocean microbes: Urea emerges as key energy source for marine ammonia oxidizers
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are some of the most abundant microorganisms in the ocean and play a key role in nitrogen cycling. Yet, despite their ubiquity, scientists have long puzzled over how these microbes can flourish ...
Phys.org / Wintertime spike in oceanic iron levels detected near Hawaii
Around the world, phytoplankton in the upper ocean help to cycle key nutrients and regulate Earth's climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. These photosynthesizing organisms rely on dissolved iron as an essential micronutrient, ...
Phys.org / Exposing a single active site in nanoclusters boosts catalytic activity for green energy
There is a dire need for selective catalysts that allow us to consistently achieve a desired outcome in a chemical reaction. It is this consistency that allows for more efficient, energy-saving ways of producing fuel. A team ...
