Phys.org news

Phys.org / Scientists uncover a hidden mechanism that drives RNA synthesis

Scientists have long been fascinated by two promising classes of antibiotics that disable RNA polymerase (RNAP). They knew that these drugs could grind gene expression to a halt in several pathogens, including the bacterium ...

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / Under-the-radar creeks could be sweeping carbon out of salt marshes

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are alternately inundated and exposed by tides. These marshes, like other coastal ecosystems, are hotspots of carbon cycling.

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / New optical method reveals internal dynamics of elusive Wigner crystals

Researchers at the University of Basel and the Technical University of Munich have developed a new method to reveal the collective motion of electrons in one of the most elusive states of matter: the Wigner crystal. Using ...

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / DNA origami nanosyringe actively transports molecules into synthetic cells

Transporting molecules across biological membranes is essential for life. In nature, this can occur through passive transport, known as diffusion. "Biological systems often use mechanical motion to accomplish tasks that cannot ...

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / Rescued platypuses quickly return to normal lives after five months in captivity

Platypuses rescued during a severe drought quickly returned to their old routines after being released back into the wild, suggesting emergency rescues can help protect vulnerable populations.

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / Oral nanomedicine improves cancer immunotherapy by harnessing gut bacterial metabolite

A joint research team—led by professor Young Seok Cho from the School of Medicine, alongside professor James J. Moon from the University of Michigan—has developed the world's first oral, microbiome-based nanomedicine. By ...

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / Who are the secret gardeners of a parasitic plant?

In the coastal forests of a tropical Japanese island near Okinawa grows an inconspicuous plant that is easy to mistake for a mushroom. It is a non-green parasite that feeds on the roots of other plants and produces up to ...

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / Decoding smell: Study reveals how wind transforms odor signals

Humans trust dogs to help find missing people, and bees to pollinate their crops. But scientists still don't fully understand how these animals use their extraordinary sense of smell to locate the source of an odor.

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / Color-sensing yeast could make biofactories more programmable and precise

Baker's yeast is one of biotechnology's most important microorganisms. It has long been used to leaven bread and ferment beer. More recently, advances in synthetic biology have enabled engineered yeast to convert sugar into ...

Aug 11, 2026
Phys.org / Mars could have carried liquid water more recently than we thought

For decades, astronomers have assumed that the Martian surface froze solid around 3 billion years ago and has stayed that way ever since. If this were really the case, any liquid water would have long since either been locked ...

Aug 10, 2026
Phys.org / Arctic fossil abandoned in 1948 proves to be record-size Triassic hunter

Nearly 80 years ago, a British expedition discovered the battered remains of a giant fossil on the peak of an Arctic island. Unable to take it with them, they snapped some pictures, took some bones and left the fossil to ...

Aug 10, 2026
Phys.org / The impact of recent super El Niños on sea level rise

El Niños and La Niñas are the third-most dominant influences on Earth's climate, after the sun and the greenhouse effect. But they haven't been easy to decipher or to predict in terms of when they will happen and what exact ...

Aug 10, 2026