Before we even get into the role of expert peer reviewers, does the article pass basic tests of authenticity, let alone extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary proof?

The third author of the referenced paper does have a page at Harvard, here: http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~mcgeoch/index.html where she says she is at the "Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University" but she's not listed as faculty in that department here: https://www.mcb.harvard.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/

Could be a student... but do a search for Malcolm. W. McGeoch, Sergei Dikler, Julie E. M. McGeoch from Plex Corporation, Bruker Scientific LLC and Harvard University

and you will start to wonder if these people even know their names have been used in this article. Shame on phys.org for not calling the author for a quote or doing any other legwork to convince me this is anything other than a UFO hoax or the output of a paper-writing AI. It could be, but ...journalist please.