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 ...

May 4, 2026
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.

May 4, 2026
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 ...

May 4, 2026
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 ...

May 4, 2026
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 ...

May 4, 2026
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. ...

May 4, 2026
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.

May 4, 2026
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 ...

May 4, 2026
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 ...

May 4, 2026
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 ...

May 4, 2026
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 ...

May 4, 2026
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. ...

May 3, 2026