Phys.org news
Phys.org / Gene discovery opens new path for disease-resistant rice breeding
Bacterial blight (BB) is a serious plant disease that mainly affects rice plants, especially in warm, humid regions. Due to the severity of BB, discovering and applying BB-resistance genes is strategically important for ensuring ...
Phys.org / Cancer's hidden switch may sit in the cell membrane, forcing growth receptors into permanent overdrive
Cells are enveloped by a lipid membrane that gives them structure and provides a barrier between the cell and its environment. However, evidence has recently emerged suggesting that these membranes do more than simply provide ...
Phys.org / Extensive faults beneath Nevada nuclear lab raise unanswered earthquake risks
The underground laboratory in Nevada where the U.S. conducts nuclear subcritical experiments is riddled with faults. Researchers have not confirmed whether any of these faults are active and could rupture during an earthquake, ...
Phys.org / Scientists unlock shape-shifting living tissue, programming cells to fold flat sheets into precise 3D forms
Biological tissues have a remarkable ability to organize and change shape, driven by forces generated by their own cells. One of the major challenges in bioengineering is harnessing this natural behavior to design synthetic ...
Phys.org / ALMA confirms rare quasar pair at redshift 5.7 in merging galaxies
Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have discovered a close pair of quasars, which is a result of a distant massive galaxy merger. The detection of the quasar pair was detailed in a ...
Phys.org / Solar flares' domino effect isn't limited to the sun, 16,000-star sweep reveals
Our sun is a roiling mass of energy, with solar flares exploding on its surface, sending gas, plasma, and light that blasts across the solar system. When radiation from extra-powerful flares breaks through Earth's outer protective ...
Phys.org / Warmer winters and snow drought may threaten western US water by speeding flows
As future shifts in climate lead to more rain and less snow in the western United States, new research finds that water will move faster through a landscape, likely leading to negative impacts on summer water levels and water ...
Phys.org / Novel technique drills more detail into ice core records
Glaciers can reveal vast archives of information about Earth's environmental past, but deciphering the origins of the matter within them can be a challenge. Now, using a novel technique that enables researchers to directly ...
Phys.org / Polymer physics reveals DNA loops are formed by single molecular motors
Scientists from Skoltech and the University of Potsdam have developed a physical theory that sheds light on how molecular motors organize the three-dimensional structure of the genome. Using theoretical polymer physics and ...
Phys.org / A hidden Oregon basin and a shallower slab sharpen the Cascadia megaquake threat
A new look at the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate beneath the coast of northern Oregon suggests this subducting slab is shallower than previously thought, with impacts on potential peak ground shaking during a Cascadia megathrust ...
Phys.org / Warm-bodied sharks and tunas face 'double jeopardy' in warming seas
A new study reveals that some of the ocean's most powerful predators are running hotter, and that they are likely paying an increasingly steep price for it. The significance of this headline finding is the "double jeopardy" ...
Phys.org / Sex pheromone of a sandgrain-sized insect deciphered
Parasitic wasps of the genus Trichogramma are among the smallest insects in the world—yet they play an important role in natural ecosystems and agricultural landscapes as natural antagonists of pest species. Research teams ...
