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74 articles from PhysOrg

Complex coacervate droplets as a model material for studying the electrodynamic response of biological materials

Manipulating solid particles of a few micrometers in size using an electric field has been of great interest to physicists. These controllable particles can be assembled into dynamic chains that can effectively control the flow of liquids in thin tubes like capillaries. Replacing these solid particles with liquid droplets would allow for previously unachievable electrorheology applications in...

Fruit flies: Summer pests or scientific marvel?

Fly-swatting season is here. No sooner will you place your fresh strawberries on the kitchen counter than will the first fruit fly arrive. It won't take long for a platoon of Drosophila buddies to be hovering about the spoils.

Up a creek without paddle? Researchers suggest 'gunwale bobbing'

Stand up in a canoe and you'll probably find yourself in the water before too long. Jump up and down on the upper edges of the sides of the canoe, and you'll likely end up in the drink as well. But get the balance right and you'll be able to move yourself along by as much as one meter per second, according to a study published in Physical Review Fluids examining gunwale bobbing.

Team discovers new plant gene reprogramming mechanism

Researchers Albert Cairó and Karel Riha of the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and their colleagues have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that is responsible for reprogramming gene expression in plants during the transition period when one cell differentiates into another one. The mechanism occurs at the end of meiosis, a specialized cell division essential for sexual...

How do PA, ABA, and CBF pathways synergistically regulate melon cold tolerance?

Polyamines (PAs), including putrescine (Put, a diamine), spermidine (Spd, a triamine), and spermine (Spm, a tetramine), are low-molecular-weight polycations and aliphatic nitrogen-containing substances. They play important roles in the overall life cycle of plants, from seed germination to fruit ripening, abscission, and senescence. There has been a growing interest in the study of PAs involved in...

A matter of concentration: Molecular mechanisms of water homeostasis

When making a soup, maintaining the correct balance of liquid and salt is key. Similarly, maintaining the balance of water and electrolytes is an important physiological process in the human body, and disruption of this process can have serious consequences. The kidneys regulate the amount of water and solutes taken in and excreted from the body through a process known as urine concentration....