Phys.org news
Phys.org / Thermogenetics: How proteins are controllable by heat
Protein activity can be precisely regulated via subtle changes in temperature using heat-sensitive switches. Underlying this capability is a novel modular design strategy developed by researchers at the Institute of Pharmacy ...
Phys.org / Cleaner water, longer-lasting devices: New benchmark measures electrocatalysis oxidants in real time
From brightly colored textile dyes to persistent pesticides and antibiotics, many modern pollutants dissolved in water—such as Bisphenol A—resist traditional treatment methods. A promising approach uses electricity to ...
Phys.org / Pond-dwelling microalga exposes a parallel track for RNA processing
Biology textbooks explain that cells follow a universal rule when processing gene transcripts to make proteins. Non-coding snippets of RNA are bracketed by a guanine-thymine (GT) nucleotide sequence on one end and an adenine-guanine ...
Phys.org / How Japanese red elder plants save two lives with one fruit drop
Japanese red elder plants safeguard their own survival when they drop fruits infested by Heterhelus beetle larvae, as well as the survival of these larvae. A Kobe University study changes the narrative on how a plant and ...
Phys.org / Burned permafrost peatlands release carbon for years after wildfires, researchers find
In the face of climate change, permafrost peatland wildfires could play more of a role in the destructive cycle of global warming, University of Alberta research suggests.
Phys.org / Piecing together parasitic plant pathways
Genes that play a key role in the formation of an infectious organ used by parasitic plants have been identified by plant scientists at RIKEN. This discovery fills a gap in our understanding of how parasitic plants infect ...
Phys.org / The secret lives of catalysts: How microscopic networks power reactions
Catalysts are essential to modern industry, accelerating reactions used to produce everything from fertilizers and fuels to medicines and hydrogen energy. But until now, scientists could not directly observe how reactions ...
Phys.org / Chimps' love for crystals could help us understand our own ancestors' fascination with these stones
Crystals have repeatedly been found at archaeological sites alongside Homo remains. Evidence shows that hominins have been collecting these stones for as long as 780,000 years. Yet, we know that our ancestors did not use ...
Phys.org / Did the first human ancestor originate in the Balkans? New fossil shows evidence of bipedalism
Walking on two legs has long been considered a milestone in human evolution and one of our most defining characteristics. Until now, researchers assumed that the first humans originated in Africa and that bipedalism developed ...
Phys.org / Most compact quadruple star system yet fits within an area the size of Jupiter's orbit
Astronomers have reported observations of a rare star system consisting of one star orbiting a system of three more tightly bound stars. This quadruple star system is described in a new study, published in Nature Communications, ...
Phys.org / Astronomers discover TOI-5734 b, a hot sub-Neptune twice Earth's size
Using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher for the Northern Hemisphere (HARPS-N), an international team of astronomers has discovered a hot sub-Neptune exoplanet ...
Phys.org / Cockroaches that eat each other's wings become exclusive partners
Scientists have discovered that, far from being solitary insects, some cockroaches appear to form an exclusive bond with a partner. And how do they get this relationship off the ground? By eating each other's wings.