Phys.org news

Phys.org / A wealth of genes for seed improvement uncovered in living fossils

Seed plants are essential as a source of food, fuel, medicine, and more. Now, a multidisciplinary team of researchers has combined deep botanical knowledge with powerful genomic technology to decode and mine the DNA of non-flowering ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Bacterial scents from sick oaks attract beetles that worsen tree decline

The deadly decline of Britain's native oak trees may be driven by an unexpected accomplice: their own smell.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Coastal ocean acidification advancing faster than expected, threatening local economies

New research from the University of St Andrews has found that some coastal areas will become much more acidic than previously anticipated. With added atmospheric CO2, these areas are acidifying more quickly than thought, ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Microbial network restructuring mitigates long-term soil carbon emissions from warming, decade-long study finds

Soils release approximately 40–60 petagrams (Pg) of carbon annually into the atmosphere through microbial metabolism. Climate warming is projected to further enhance soil microbial respiration, intensifying positive carbon–climate ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Robust 'Huber mean' for geometric data protects against noise and outliers

In an era driven by complex data, scientists are increasingly encountering information that doesn't lie neatly on flat, Euclidean surfaces. From 3D medical scans to robot orientations and AI transformations, much of today's ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Genomes of 24,000 previously unknown microbes revealed by new tools

QUT researchers have recovered the genomes of more than 24,000 previously unknown microbial species—some from entirely new branches of life that likely evolved before plants and animals. The microbes are detailed in two ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Microfluidic MISO platform enables high-resolution cryo-EM from minimal starting material

Researchers at the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology have developed a new microfluidics-based workflow that enables high-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure determination from extremely small ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Hybridization helps mountain birds adapt to climate change, study finds

Climate change is driving drastic environmental shifts and accelerating global biodiversity loss. Hybrid introgression has recently emerged as a key mechanism enabling rapid adaptation to historical climate change. Yet empirical ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / How chromosomes separate accurately: Molecular 'scissors' caught in action

Cell division is a process of remarkable precision: during each cycle, the genetic material must be evenly distributed between the two daughter cells. To achieve this, duplicated chromosomes, known as sister chromatids, are ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Imaging method pinpoints microplastics in intact human tissue samples

While microplastic pollution continues to advance, research into its possible effects on health remains hampered by technical hurdles. To date, there are no suitable methods for precisely identifying the particles in the ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Want to eradicate malaria-bearing mosquitoes? Try fungus, this researcher says

A fungal infection solution could help eliminate up to 86% of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, offering a powerful new tool in the global fight against the disease, according to new research.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Drones map loggerhead sea turtle nesting site hotspots

Florida's beaches—particularly those in Palm Beach County—are among the world's most vital nesting grounds for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), accounting for 90% of all loggerhead nests in the Southeastern United ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology