Phys.org news
Phys.org / Crops predictably select growth boosting microbes regardless of soil type, study finds
A new study shows crop species, and not soil type, primarily determines the beneficial functions provided by root-associated microbes. In the study, soil obtained from across nine UK locations was used to cultivate six key ...
Phys.org / Nanotube-coated catheter could detect bladder cancer biomarker 50,000 times more sensitively
Every year, about 85,000 Americans are diagnosed with bladder cancer. While treatment is often successful, bladder cancer has one of the highest rates of recurrence of any cancer: Following treatment, about 50% of patients ...
Phys.org / Chang'e-5 regolith studies reveal nanoscale space-weathering processes
On the moon, the lack of atmosphere and accompanying features such as biological activity, oxygen-rich air, flowing water and rain, wind, and most erosion allows the lunar regolith to preserve a long-term record of surface ...
Phys.org / Plants select growth strategies by 'spying' on their neighbors' scents
New research reveals that plants have the ability to detect their neighbors' growth rates through aromatic cues called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and subsequently adjust how much energy they invest into their own growth ...
Phys.org / A new approach to urban planning with less car traffic and lower carbon emissions
Urban planning needs to tackle greenhouse gas emissions—and an important way to achieve this is by reducing the number and length of car commutes. This can be achieved primarily by ensuring that homes are located close to ...
Phys.org / One in six kids could be experiencing online sexual exploitation and abuse
One in six internet-using children from a survey of nearly 12,000 children in 12 countries across Asia and Africa are found to experience at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, with many ...
Phys.org / Mitochondria reveal built-in speed control for protein production
Researchers at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences have elucidated how the production of certain proteins and their insertion into the inner membrane ...
Phys.org / Hyena clan rank metrics need to be trait specific to fully explain hierarchies, scientists argue
Spotted hyenas live in hierarchically organized groups (clans). An individual's dominance over another determines priority access to resources such as food or mating partners, and thus reproductive success. However, the rank ...
Phys.org / A severed piece of sea cucumber refused to die, and what happened next could transform medicine
From the revived corpse of Frankenstein's monster to the disembodied hand, "Thing," in the Addams Family, reanimated tissue is one of the most enduring images in science fiction. It turns out, that image has some basis in ...
Phys.org / Memory-preserving transistors could bypass the Boltzmann limit
Researchers have created a new theoretical framework that shows how memory-preserving "memtransistors" could overcome the intrinsic limits in efficiency faced by conventional semiconductor transistors, imposed by the laws ...
Phys.org / A giant warm wave is crossing the Pacific, signaling an El Niño that could alter weather worldwide this year
Waves of higher, warmer water move eastward across the Pacific Ocean a few months before an El Niño emerges. Several have shown up in 2026 satellite data.
Phys.org / Outdoor lights may keep mosquitoes biting and breeding deeper into autumn
In some parts of the world, autumn brings welcome relief from mosquitoes, such as the Northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens). As the days grow shorter, the waning light is a signal for them to enter a winter state of dormancy ...