Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Captured mid-reaction, RNA polymerase reveals universal blueprint for gene transcription
The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in gene expression, and a process fundamental to all life....
Water molecules found to actively drive gene transcription process
Researchers have uncovered a previously hidden layer of complexity in how genes are activated, showing that water molecules play a direct and essential role in...
How mass extinctions helped termites become essential engineers of today's tropical ecosystems
Tropical ecosystems rely on the infrastructure provided by termites. These insects supply plants with vital nutrients by breaking down organic waste, bringing w...
Winter's end is written in the clouds over Alaska
As winter turned to spring, the skies over the Gulf of Alaska displayed textbook examples of numerous cloud formations. Winter 2026 roared to an end in southern...
Hemp-based thermoplastic offers a greener alternative to plastic packaging
As the global pollution crisis caused by manufacturing and disposing of single-use plastics continues to grow, researchers have developed a non-toxic plastic al...
Hidden in the headlines: New study uses local news to assess wildlife poaching in Romania
Graceful, brown-eyed, and a staple of local folklore, the roe deer is one of Romania's most iconic forest dwellers. But behind the serene image of these animals...
A silent robot shadows sperm whales by listening to their clicks
An autonomous underwater glider is giving us a new and effective way to track sperm whales by tuning into their clicks and silently following them. To study the...
Lithium in the Appalachians could replace imports for a century or more, estimates suggest
The southern Appalachians hold an estimated 1.43 million metric tons of lithium oxide, concentrated in the Carolinas, and the northern Appalachians hold an esti...
Mixed messages on kids' screen time leave parents feeling overwhelmed
First-time parents are feeling confused, anxious and judged when it comes to managing their young children's screen time, according to new research from Edith C...
Researchers create DNA 'nano-rings' to control viral cell proteins
Scientists at Durham University, working in partnership with Jagiellonian University in Poland, have developed a new nanoscale tool that can capture and precise...
XXP instrument back online, marking a key milestone in high-energy upgrade to SLAC's X-ray laser
XPP, the X-ray Pump Probe instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), is back online and welcoming researchers after a complete rebuild. The overhaul...
Room-temperature multiferroic could pave way to low-energy computing
A team of researchers at Rice University has engineered a new version of a well-known multiferroic that exhibits orders of magnitude higher performance at room...