Phys.org news
Phys.org / 'Switchable' smart gel may pave way for next-gen drug delivery and sensing tech
University of Birmingham scientists have developed a new material that changes from a gel to a liquid-like state under ultraviolet light and can be rebuilt using heat or dismantled by acid.
Phys.org / Climate doom may discourage climate action, but there's a way to counter it
Every summer is getting hotter. Wildfires are blazing, and the worst is yet to come. There's nothing to be done—we're doomed! Sound familiar?
Phys.org / Novel plastic turns into a gas when heated—then reforms once cooled
In a study published in Macromolecules, researchers introduce a novel polymer that could simplify how materials are applied, removed and recycled by eliminating several complex processing steps used today.
Phys.org / Plants could transform how scientists measure the climate benefits of tidal marshes
Growing up in New Jersey, Emily Wilson regularly passed tidal marshes without giving them much thought. They were part of the coastal landscape—stretches of green and blue she saw from the road.
Phys.org / Curved surfaces reshape active materials, localizing vibrations near defects
Many materials, both living and engineered, are powered from within. Scientists have thoroughly investigated how such 'active' materials operate, but so far, mostly in circumstances where the curvature of the environment ...
Phys.org / Deep-learning approach rapidly predicts where metals bind within proteins
In the living world, roughly a third of all proteins we know rely on metals to function. Zinc helps enzymes break down molecules, iron helps carry oxygen in the blood, calcium helps relay signals in cells and potassium flows ...
Phys.org / Robotic ocean glider reveals giant phytoplankton chains in the Mediterranean Sea
Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography in Marseille, France, have discovered something surprising in the Mediterranean Sea: giant chains of phytoplankton.
Phys.org / Structural snapshots reveal key steps in switching on DNA replication
Every time a cell divides, it must accurately copy its entire genetic instruction manual. Before this process can begin, cells load their DNA-copying motor—a complex of six subunits known as the MCM2-7 helicase—onto DNA. ...
Phys.org / Building real-time control for engineered biological systems
Scientists can engineer living cells to perform useful tasks, from producing medicines and sustainable chemicals to detecting disease. Unlike traditional engineered systems, living cells are constantly changing as they grow, ...
Phys.org / Most mammal species discovered in the Global South since 1990 end up in Northern collections
According to a study by Brazilian scientists published in the journal npj Biodiversity, most new mammal species described over the past 35 years are housed in institutions in countries of the so-called Global North, even ...
Phys.org / Sound-based traps reveal how fragile biomolecular droplets move, merge and change stiffness
Being able to measure something plays a vital role in our ability to understand many phenomena. But measuring can often affect what we are trying to measure. This is particularly the case when measuring substances that are ...
Phys.org / An African bat overlooked for two centuries is confirmed in Europe
An African bat whose presence in Sicily had remained an unresolved zoological mystery for almost two centuries has now been documented on Pantelleria Island. A study published in Global Ecology and Conservation reports the ...
