Phys.org news
Phys.org / Crowd sensing for the environment: Citizen science and plant apps map how urbanization alters city soils and climate
Plants reflect urban climate and soil conditions with remarkable precision. Using more than 80 million observations from plant identification apps, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry have produced ...
Phys.org / Composing nanomaterials—open-source platform unites AI and automated synthesis
LMU researcher Professor Alexander Urban and his team have developed a tool that could revolutionize the design of new materials. Synthesizer is a platform that combines automated chemical synthesis, high-throughput characterization, ...
Phys.org / Flowers shape the spread of viruses among wild bees, study finds
A recent study shows that viruses in wild bees are closely linked to the flowers they visit and the availability of floral resources across the landscape. Researchers found that certain floral communities increase the likelihood ...
Phys.org / Exploring metabolic noise opens new paths to better biomanufacturing
Much like humans, microbial organisms can be fickle in their productivity. One moment they're cranking out useful chemicals in vast fermentation tanks, metabolizing feed to make products from pharmaceuticals and supplements ...
Phys.org / Fossils reveal 'latitudinal traps' that increased extinction risk for marine species
A new study led by researchers at the University of Oxford has shown that the shape and orientation of coastlines significantly influenced extinction patterns for animals living in the shallow oceans during the last 540 million ...
Phys.org / The sky's hidden ecosystem: Radar reveals an organized, living habitat
When people think about habitats on Earth, they likely picture forests, oceans or grasslands. Few think to look up. Yet the lower atmosphere, or troposphere, may be the largest habitat on the planet. A new study published ...
Phys.org / Overcoming symmetry limits in photovoltaics through surface engineering
A recent study carried out by researchers from EHU, the Materials Physics Center, nanoGUNE, and DIPC introduces a novel approach to solar energy conversion and spintronics. The work tackles a long-standing limitation in the ...
Phys.org / Disinfecting drinking water produces potentially toxic byproducts—new AI model is helping to identify them
Disinfecting drinking water prevents the spread of deadly waterborne diseases by killing infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. Without disinfection, even clear-looking water can carry pathogens that can ...
Phys.org / Scientists watch cell receptors respond in real time as drugs bind
A research team of the University Medical Center Mainz has succeeded in observing for the first time how G protein-coupled receptors in living cells actually respond to activating substances. The scientists discovered that ...
Phys.org / When lightning strikes: Models of multi-ignition wildfires could predict catastrophic events
Multi-ignition wildfires are not overly common. But when individual fires do converge, the consequences can be catastrophic. The largest fire on record in California, the 2020 August Complex fire, grew from the coalescence ...
Phys.org / New technology converts naturally derived monomers into degradable polymer capsules
Polymer capsules can store functional substances such as drugs and fragrances, making them widely used in functional cosmetics and daily necessities. However, conventional capsules use non-degradable polymers and are difficult ...
Phys.org / Long-term pesticide exposure accelerates aging and shortens lifespan in fish
Long-term exposure to low levels of a common agricultural pesticide can accelerate physiological aging and shorten lifespan in fish—a finding from new research led by University of Notre Dame biologist Jason Rohr with potentially ...