Advanced sequencing technology provides new insights into human mitochondrial diseases

The ability to translate the genetic code into proteins is an essential step in all living organisms. A cornerstone of this molecular process is the ability of transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules to couple recognition of the genetic code with the cognate amino acid, which are the build … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Sculpting bacteria into extreme shapes reveals the rugged nature of cell division

What do watermelons and bacteria have in common? Just like the tasty fruit, microbes can be molded into unusual shapes, a study in Nature Communications has shown. The paper, produced by researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), ha … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

With a microbe-produced toxin, bacteria prove old dogs can learn new tricks

A newly discovered toxin that some bacteria deploy to fend off competing bacteria stands out from others in the battle for microbial domination. While many deadly substances have been identified among bacteria, this previously unknown toxin behaves in a familiar way. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

States and feds unite on election security after '16 clashes

Election officials and federal cybersecurity agents are touting improved collaboration aimed at confronting and deterring efforts to tamper with elections. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

MoviePass operations under investigation by New York AG

The company that runs the beleaguered MoviePass discount service for movie tickets is being investigated by the New York Attorney General on allegations that it misled investors. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

US authorities reel in StarKist in canned tuna scandal

The US crackdown on price fixing has netted another big fish in canned tuna, the Justice Department announced Thursday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

New fly species found in Indiana may indicate changing climate, says researcher

A new type of blow fly spotted in Indiana points to shifting species populations due to climate change. Researchers at IUPUI have observed the first evidence of Lucilia cuprina in Indiana, an insect previously known to populate southern states from Virginia to California. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Study finds racial disparities in student debt increase after young people leave college

Racial disparities in student debt between blacks and whites may perpetuate the racial wealth gap according to a study in the online first edition of Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

EU leaders vow tough action on cyber attacks

EU leaders on Thursday condemned the attempted hack on the global chemical weapons watchdog and vowed to step up the bloc's efforts to tackle cyber attacks. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Epidemic in turf management: Herbicide resistance in annual bluegrass

Annual bluegrass is one of the most common weeds of turfgrass on golf courses, sports fields and sod farms, not to mention residential and commercial lawns. Unfortunately this nemesis of pristine landscapes has also developed resistance to many common herbicides. Researchers with … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Nearly half the world lives on less than $5.50 a day: World Bank

Despite progress in reducing extreme poverty, nearly half the world's population lives on less than $5.50 a day, with a rising share of the poor in wealthier economies, the World Bank said Wednesday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Genetic breakthrough will aid whitebark pine conservation efforts

A University of Colorado Denver-led research team for the first time developed reliable genetic markers known as nuclear microsatellites for the whitebark pine, a discovery that could improve the tree's prospects for survival. Whitebark pine, which is declining rapidly nearly ran … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Social media for medical journals operates in 'wild west,' needs more support to succeed

Much of the published medical research goes unread by the general public and medical community, despite being largely funded by the federal government and private foundations. To reach more people, medical journals have begun using social media to promote new research. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Food systems planning experts say it's time to reflect on local governments' efforts

Governments across the U.S. and Canada have made strides in their food systems planning efforts, with many recognizing within the past decade that the issue of food insecurity is just as important as maintaining other public infrastructure like roads and water systems. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Pushing the extra cold frontiers of superconducting science

Measuring the properties of superconducting materials in magnetic fields at close to absolute zero temperatures is difficult, but necessary to understand their quantum properties. How cold? Lower than 0.05 Kelvin (-272°C). | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Government corruption tops 5th annual Chapman University survey of American fears

More Americans are afraid than ever, according to the 5th annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears. The 2018 survey revealed that government corruption remains Americans' primary concern, and the state of the environment, which for the first time represents fully half o … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Superflares from young red dwarf stars imperil planets

The word "HAZMAT" describes substances that pose a risk to the environment, or even to life itself. Imagine the term being applied to entire planets, where violent flares from the host star may make worlds uninhabitable by affecting their atmospheres. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Estimating the feeding habits of corals may offer new insights on resilient reefs

Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and colleagues have found that corals living in more productive waters take advantage of the increased food availability. The findings, published in the journal Current Biology on October … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Researchers propose CRISPR as influencer of low genetic diversity in deadly bacteria

Scientists at Oregon State University have shed light on the evolutionary history of a soil-borne bacteria that is so dangerous to grazing animals it is kept behind lock-and-key to prevent its spread. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

New tool helps align investment with objectives in biodiversity conservation

One of the balancing acts faced by conservation agencies is how to conserve and protect as many species as possible from extinction with limited funding and finite resources. In the U.S., conservation agencies are supported and guided by the Endangered Species Act, the seminal wi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Breakthrough in accessing the tiny magnet within the core of a single atom

Researchers at the Center for Quantum Nanoscience (QNS) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in South Korea have made a major scientific breakthrough by detecting the nuclear magnetism, or "nuclear spin" of a single atom. In an international collaboration with IBM Researc … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Scientists discover first high-temperature single-molecule magnet

A team of scientists led by Professor Richard Layfield at the University of Sussex has published breakthrough research in molecule-based magnetic information storage materials. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Working lands play a key role in protecting biodiversity

With a body the size of a fist and wings that span more than a foot, the big brown bat must gorge on 6,000 to 8,000 bugs a night to maintain its stature. This mighty appetite can be a boon to farmers battling crop-eating pests. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Smallest life forms have smallest working CRISPR system

An ancient group of microbes that contains some of the smallest life forms on Earth also has the smallest CRISPR gene-editing machinery discovered to date. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

New cell movement process key to understanding and repairing facial malformations

The embryonic stem cells that form facial features, called neural crest cells, use an unexpected mechanism of moving from the back of the head to the front to populate the face, finds a new UCL-led study. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

First proof of quantum computer advantage

For many years, quantum computers were not much more than an idea. Today, companies, governments and intelligence agencies are investing in the development of quantum technology. Robert König, professor for the theory of complex quantum systems at the TUM, in collaboration with D … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Everglades restoration must deal with rising ocean, new report says

Are we restoring the Everglades just so the ocean can swallow a lot of it back up? Eighteen years into the multibillion-dollar restoration of the Everglades, a scientific review committee called Wednesday for a broad re-examination of future projects in light of the changing cli … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Manufacturers adopt robots that help human workers, not replace them. For now

During more than 25 years as a factory worker, David Young has seen a parade of robots take over tasks he and his colleagues used to do by hand. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Facebook lured advertisers by inflating ad-watch times up to 900 percent: lawsuit

Not only did Facebook inflate ad-watching metrics by up to 900 percent, it knew for more than a year that its average-viewership estimates were wrong and kept quiet about it, a new legal filing claims. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Astronomers catch red dwarf star in a superflare outburst

New observations by two Arizona State University astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have caught a red dwarf star in a violent outburst, or superflare. The blast of radiation was more powerful than any such outburst ever detected from the Sun, and would likely affect the … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Mass tax trickery cost Europe 55 bln euros: report

Two closely-related tax schemes have helped banks and investors avoid tax or even syphon cash directly out of European treasuries totalling billions more than previously thought, an investigation by 19 media revealed Thursday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Wet and mild: Warm winter predicted for much of the US

U.S. meteorologists say winter is looking wet and especially mild for much of the country, thanks to a weak El Nino brewing. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Saint-Tropez cleans up after Mediterranean oil spill

French workers on Thursday scooped balls of tar off the beach in Saint-Tropez after oil that leaked from two ships which collided washed ashore in the Riviera resort. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Summer drought may shrink supplies of French spuds

It's harvest time and the chips are down for potato producers in northern France where a long summer drought could see French spuds shrink in size and volume. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

'Malnourished' animals report prompts Albania zoo closure

A report claiming lions and other animals were left malnourished at a private zoo in Albania has prompted Albanian authorities to order the zoo's temporary closure. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Researchers unfold secret stability of bendy straws

Collapsible dog bowls, bendable medical tubes and drinking straws all seem to work on a common principle, snapping into a variety of mechanically stable and useful states. Despite the many applications for such "designer matter" structures, however, the fundamental mechanisms of … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Warsaw taxis hold anti-Uber go slow

Hundreds of taxis on Thursday drove at a snail's pace across the Polish capital Warsaw in protest at the ride-sharing app Uber and other unlicenced competitors. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

'Geek Girl' gamers are more likely to study science and technology degrees

Girls who play video games are three times more likely to choose physical science, technology, engineering or maths (PSTEM) degrees compared to their non-gaming counterparts, according to new research from the University of Surrey. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Study links genes to social behaviors, including autism

Those pesky bees that come buzzing around on a muggy summer day are helping researchers reveal the genes responsible for social behaviors. A new study published this week found that the social lives of sweat bees—named for their attraction to perspiration—are linked to patterns o … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

South American marsupials discovered to reach new heights

In the Andean forests along the border of Chile and Argentina, there have long been speculations that the mouse-sized marsupial monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) climbs to lofty heights in the trees. Yet, due to the lack of knowledge about the region's biodiversity in the f … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

A new cermet that could provide a better heat exchange for solar power plants

A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. has come up with a new type of cermet that could prove especially useful as a heat exchanger in solar power plants. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes how the new material was … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

The big problem of small data: A new approach

Big Data is all the rage today, but Small Data matters too! Drawing reliable conclusions from small datasets, like those from clinical trials for rare diseases or in studies of endangered species, remains one of the trickiest obstacles in statistics. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Labor … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Pathogens may evade immune response with metal-free enzyme required for DNA replication

Some bacterial pathogens, including those that cause strep throat and pneumonia, are able to create the components necessary to replicate their DNA without the usually required metal ions. This process may allow infectious bacteria to replicate even when the host's immune system … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Iron Man-like exoskeletons studied to improve productivity, safety, and well-being

Over the next decade, American manufacturers are facing an industrial skills gap with projections of 2 million manufacturing jobs going unfilled due to a lack of qualified and skilled applicants. A large portion of the current manufacturing workforce is nearing retirement age and … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Video: How to catch fruit flies

You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar—or can you? In this video, Reactions explains the chemistry behind why fruit flies love vinegar so much that some entomologists call them "vinegar flies": | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Female chimpanzees know which males are most likely to kill their babies

Research carried out by the University of Kent sheds light on the infanticidal behaviour of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and demonstrates that females are highly sensitive to the relative risks posed to their babies by different males. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Scientists find unusual behavior in topological material

Argonne scientists have identified a new class of topological materials made by inserting transition metal atoms into the atomic lattice of a well-known two-dimensional material. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Portable "tricorder" scans life signs

Scientists from the School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow have developed a handheld device for taking medical readings from patients, and transferring the data to a smartphone. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago