Phys.org news
Phys.org / Climate change is rewriting winter lakes in a way that looks completely backward at first glance
Climate change undoubtedly affects lakes and the functioning of their ecosystems, but seasonal impacts are not always straightforward. An international team of researchers from York University in Canada, the Finnish Environment ...
Phys.org / The Big Bang of plant life: Discovery sheds light on how cells form walls
Cell walls are a crucial structure of plant life, protecting cells from damage, giving plants shape, and containing energy-rich nutrients. And yet the process of how the walls begin to form remains mysterious.
Phys.org / How plants make copies of themselves—key 'cloning switch' gene identified
A Hiroshima-University-led research team has discovered a key gene responsible for the initiation of gemma development, acting as a "master switch" to start asexual reproduction (cloning) in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha ...
Phys.org / Beam-splitting approach reveals hidden changes in vitamin B12
Researchers at European XFEL have developed a way to study liquid samples that are too dilute for many existing X-ray experiments. The method is highly sensitive, and in the first experiment a group of international scientists ...
Phys.org / Plants under stress switch from photosynthesis to protein cleanup, researchers show
Plants are under constant stress due to pathogens, heat, or other environmental factors. Proteins can become damaged as a result and cell function is thrown off balance. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum working with ...
Phys.org / Live camel transportation improved by using food as an incentive in place of physical punishment
Around the world, millions of camels are farmed for milk and meat while others are used in leisure activities like racing and riding. Yet the treatment of these animals as livestock can be harsh, especially during transport. ...
Phys.org / Nocturnal migratory birds follow rhythm of the moon, study shows
Moonlight determines when the red-necked nightjar feeds, migrates and raises its young. A groundbreaking long-term study from Lund University shows how the migratory bird's entire annual cycle follows the moon's rhythm.
Phys.org / Glowing nanoparticles exposed hidden cancer-protein behavior that could reshape drug screening
Using a powerful single-molecule imaging method they developed, a Broad Institute research team has unveiled a dynamic view of how some cancer-related proteins interact in living cells. The technique relies on highly stable ...
Phys.org / Speed 'training' prepares bacteria for complex tasks, like munching plastics
Millions of tons of plastic waste accumulate in landfills and oceans every year. One promising response is to engineer microbes to break the plastic down into useful chemical building blocks. However, teaching a bacterium ...
Phys.org / Chromatin tracking reveals two motion modes that help control gene expression
Gene expression is controlled, in part, by the interactions between genes and regulatory elements located along the genome. Those interactions depend on the ability of chromatin—a mix of DNA and proteins—to move around within ...
Phys.org / A simple filter swap could advance marine eDNA biomonitoring
Researchers at Aarhus University have demonstrated that a simple adjustment to water filtration methods can dramatically improve the detection of marine animal DNA when using advanced, PCR-free sequencing. This methodological ...
Phys.org / This 'living plastic' activates and self-destructs on command
Many plastic products are designed to be used only once, yet the material itself lasts for years. But a new strategy is addressing this problem by creating products that self-destruct on command, known as living plastics. ...