Phys.org news
Phys.org / Stable DNA building blocks enable faster oligonucleotide synthesis without oxidation
The chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides (ONs) is central to modern molecular biology, diagnostics and nucleic acid therapeutics. While demand for high-quality ONs is increasing, the conventional synthetic method has long-standing ...
Phys.org / Kitchen cling film helps build centimeter-scale ultrathin electronics and optics
As materials become thinner—now reaching the thickness of single atoms—it has become increasingly difficult to create sufficiently large sheets and transfer them without cracking them into tiny flakes. Recent work by a broad ...
Phys.org / Trees and microbes team up to improve nitrogen nutrient processes in higher CO₂ conditions
Forest trees growing in air containing higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) radically change the way they "cycle" nitrogen, a key plant nutrient, with implications for forests as a nature-based climate solution.
Phys.org / Beyond wrinkles: New rule explains why growing shapes suddenly crumple
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown law of geometry that explains why some growing surfaces, whether in nature or in engineered materials, suddenly stop being able to stay smooth and instead form dimples and folds. ...
Phys.org / Shipwreck cargo reveals surprising global trade secrets of the 1600s
Using cargo recovered from one of Australia's most infamous shipwrecks, new Curtin University-led research has revealed how surprisingly sophisticated global supply chains helped source and transport construction materials ...
Phys.org / Two attosecond flashes capture electrons in motion
Electronic motion sets the stage for virtually every light-induced process in nature, from the first step of a chemical reaction to the flow of charge in a solid. Yet these processes unfold so rapidly that they can be observed ...
Phys.org / Global warming threatens rice harvests more than crop models predict, study warns
A new study on how rising temperatures will affect rice production in Science Advances compares 214 observations from field-warming experiments with seven crop models, revealing modeled estimates for yield reductions from ...
Phys.org / Five-year study finds rewilded elephants develop successful coping mechanisms, with individual differences
Ex-captive elephants released into the wild adapt well to wild environments, according to a study published July 29, 2026, in the journal PLOS One by Tenisha Roos and Tamara Eggeling of the Elephant Reintegration Trust of ...
Phys.org / The cost of memory: How organisms balance thinking and sensing
Remembering the past can help living organisms make better decisions, but memory comes at a cost. Whether it is an animal searching for food or a single cell responding to its surroundings, storing and using information requires ...
Phys.org / Gold-MXene catalyst converts nitrate to ammonia using sunlight and 1.5 volts
Plants need nitrogen fertilizers, which are usually ammonia-based. Ammonia is therefore one of the most important chemical products. However, its production is currently extremely energy-intensive. An international team from ...
Phys.org / In seconds, fiber optic cables detect earthquake size
Scientists have discovered a new way to determine how big an earthquake may become just seconds after it begins. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Cal ...
Phys.org / Antarctic storms are becoming more frequent and intense, affecting sea ice
Winters in Antarctica's Ross Sea have become stormier in recent decades, affecting sea-ice conditions and field operations, new University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka research shows.
