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 / Super-Earths may be solid deep inside their mantles
Deep inside super-Earths—rocky planets with masses between 1 and 10 times that of Earth—high pressure can cause familiar minerals to take forms rarely seen on Earth. Understanding more about the temperature and pressure conditions ...
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 / Bacterial enzyme switch could weaken antibiotic defenses in MRSA and other pathogens
If you ask Vijay Parashar, associate professor of medical and molecular sciences (MMSC) at the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences, human bodies are bags of bacteria. "It sounds gross, but not all bacteria are ...
Phys.org / An elegant modification doubles the range of low-noise 'white lasers' in a single fiber
Supercontinuum light sources—often called "white lasers" because they emit a broad, continuous rainbow of colors—are essential tools for everything from advanced medical imaging to environmental gas detection. However, researchers ...
Phys.org / How 'smart' hydrogel packaging tells you if your food is still fresh
The cuts of meat in a supermarket case can look perfectly fresh even as bacteria are already multiplying inside the package. Is there a way to know before you open it?
Phys.org / Siberia's growing methane threat could offset 20% of global methane reduction targets by 2050
The Arctic is warming at an accelerating pace. As permafrost thaws across vast areas and wildfires become more frequent, large amounts of methane (CH4) are being released. Together, these changes are reshaping the region's ...
Phys.org / Sugars may have helped fuel the evolution of the human brain, new research suggests
Fruit, honey and other naturally sweet foods may have helped fuel the evolution of the human brain, according to new research from the University of Sydney and the University of Glasgow.
Phys.org / One ant can trigger colony-wide activity bursts, mathematical model suggests
Scientists have long known that ant colonies sometimes seem to move as one. A nest that appears quiet can suddenly erupt into activity, with workers throughout the colony springing into motion almost simultaneously before ...
Phys.org / Carbon nanostructure improves fuel-cell catalyst durability while reducing platinum use
The explosion of new data centers being proposed and built around the U.S. has increased demand for energy to keep them powered and cooled. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that data centers could consume up ...
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 / AI and 'Ramanomics' could eliminate a major obstacle to studying living cells
Fluorescent dyes have long been used in biological research to identify and visualize structures within living cells. Although effective, they have several drawbacks, including altering the cells under study, limiting the ...
