https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Proteins are the molecular machines of cells. They are produced in protein factories called ribosomes based on their blueprint—the genetic information. Here, the basic building blocks of proteins, amino acids, are assembled into long protein chains. Like the building blocks of a machine, individual proteins must have a specific three-dimensional structure to properly fulfill their functions. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-cell-tracking-reveals-dynamic-interaction.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:07:47 EST news689530022 Australian researchers have developed a high‑performance coating made from peppermint essential oil that can be applied to the surfaces of many commonly used medical devices, offering a safer way to protect patients from infection and inflammation. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-peppermint-oil-plasma-coating-catheter.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 05 Feb 2026 04:33:37 EST news689488395 Scientists at Rutgers University–Newark have developed a first-of-its-kind RNA-based nanotechnology that assembles itself inside living human cells and can be programmed to stop propagation of harmful cells. The findings, recently published in Nature Communications, represent a major breakthrough in biomedical research. The researchers are now in the midst of testing the technology on human cancer cells as a potential cure for the disease but have not yet finished the study or published results. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-scientists-rna-nanotechnology-cells-path.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:02:13 EST news689428861 A new study led by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D., and international collaborators highlights a new approach to treating depression that bypasses many limitations of traditional antidepressants. The team has developed a highly selective protein-based biologic called a nanobody that targets a newly discovered brain receptor implicated in depression. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-nanobodies-treatment-resistant-depression.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:00:01 EST news689419865 Viruses attack nearly every living organism on Earth. To do so, they rely on highly specialized proteins that recognize and bind to receptors on the surface of target cells, a molecular arms race that drives constant evolution. Now, a new study published in Nature Communications, led by Prof. Asaf Levy of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, reveals just how far this evolutionary creativity can go. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-bacteria-numerous-cell.html Evolution Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:33:23 EST news689268781 Artificial intelligence allows tracing the evolution of genetic control elements in the developing mammalian cerebellum. An international research team led by biologists from Heidelberg University as well as the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and KU Leuven (Belgium) has now developed advanced AI models that can predict the activity of these elements based solely on their DNA sequence. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-retrace-evolution-genetic-elements.html Evolution Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:00:02 EST news688813682 Scientists at IOCB Prague are uncovering new details of gene transcription. They have identified a previously unknown molecular mechanism by which the transcription of genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into ribonucleic acid (RNA) can be initiated. The researchers focused on a specific class of molecules known as alarmones, which are found in cells across a wide range of organisms and whose levels often increase under conditions of cellular stress. The results were published in Nature Chemical Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-unusual-rna-caps-reveal-previously.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:00:01 EST news688815754 Human health risks from direct consumption of toxic nanoplastics are already scary, but researchers have confirmed that nanoplastics in water give rise to an additional threat: They strengthen bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nanoplastics-bacteria-stronger-disinfectant-resistant.html Ecology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:12:50 EST news688669922 Bacteria in the human gut can directly deliver proteins into human cells, actively shaping immune responses. A consortium led by researchers at Helmholtz Munich, with participation from Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Aix Marseille University, Inserm, and international partners, has discovered this previously unknown mechanism of communication between gut bacteria and human cells. The findings reveal a new way in which the gut microbiome can influence the human body and may help explain how changes in gut bacteria contribute to inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-gut-bacteria-immune-responses.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:25:35 EST news688663501 Organoids are three-dimensional miniature models of organs, grown in a dish. They have become a valuable tool for studying human development, organ regeneration, function, and disease progression. Organoids derived from patient tissues or created through cell and genetic engineering allow researchers to investigate how specific proteins or their variants affect these processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-method-acinar-cells-involved-formation.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:09:40 EST news688226941 Complex sugar-protein molecules that sense external messages to help a cell grow or respond to its environment can now be tracked and analyzed, using a Nobel Prize-winning chemistry technique. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-sweet-tracking-crucial-cell-messengers.html Biochemistry Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:26:31 EST news688134361 Increasing paternal age has been linked to elevated health risks for the next generation, including higher risks of obesity and stillbirth. But what drives this increased risk remains unknown. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-hidden-rna-aging-clock.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:10:01 EST news688064521 Taking images of tiny structures within cells is tricky business. One technique, cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET), shoots electrons through a frozen sample. The images formed by the electrons that emerge allow researchers to reconstruct the internal architecture of a cell in 3D with near-atomic resolution. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tightening-focus-subcellular-snapshots-combined.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 17 Jan 2026 15:20:01 EST news687712695 A new LUMC study has changed our understanding of how cells work. Researchers have discovered that the CFAP20 protein acts as a kind of "traffic controller" on DNA. Without this protein, chaos ensues, potentially causing cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-dna-hidden-traffic-protein-clues.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:38:28 EST news687710281 A research team led by Zhiping Weng, Ph.D., and Jill Moore, Ph.D."18, at UMass Chan Medical School, has nearly tripled the known number of potential regulatory elements in the genome to 2.37 million, creating the most comprehensive map to date of the DNA sequences that control when and where genes are turned on and off in human cells, as published in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-human-genome-million-regulatory-dna.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:00:01 EST news687617432 Changes in genes have been linked to the development of different diseases for a while. However, it's not exactly clear what the mechanisms, or the causes behind those specific genetic changes, are. Recent studies using fission yeast, which can act as an ideal model for human cells, have highlighted one possible mechanism linked to disease onset. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-yeast-dna-reveal-hidden-triggers.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:10:02 EST news687429841 A Northwestern Medicine study has revealed a previously unknown connection between two fundamental cellular processes, offering fresh insight into how human cells build and maintain chromatin, according to findings published in Molecular Cell. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-link-nucleotide-metabolism-chromatin.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:21:31 EST news687108061 Pathogens can create sticky situations. When microbes invade the body to cause an infection, often one of their first lines of attack is to cling tenaciously to the surfaces of targeted human cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-antibodies-decoy-tactics-outmaneuvering-pathogens.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 08 Jan 2026 14:44:28 EST news687105850 Detecting cancer in the earliest stages could dramatically reduce cancer deaths because cancers are usually easier to treat when caught early. To help achieve that goal, MIT and Microsoft researchers are using artificial intelligence to design molecular sensors for early detection. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nanoparticles-ai-crafted-sensors-paths.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 06 Jan 2026 09:53:22 EST news686915581 A class of ultrasmall fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles developed at Cornell is showing an unexpected ability to rally the immune system against melanoma and dramatically improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy, according to a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Engineering researchers. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tiny-fluorescent-core-shell-silica.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:59:35 EST news686854741 Stripe patterns are commonly seen in nature—for instance, birds and fish move in coordinated flocks and schools, fingerprints form unique designs, and zebras can be identified by their distinctive stripes. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-stripe-patterns-blood-cells-clues.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 22 Dec 2025 17:22:17 EST news685646521 One of the most detailed 3D maps of how the human chromosomes are organized and folded within a cell's nucleus is published in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-scientists-dna-loops-human-chromosomes.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 22 Dec 2025 13:50:01 EST news685630032 A new study from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) in London, UK reveals how ancient viral DNA once written off as "junk" plays a crucial role in the earliest moments of life. The research, published in Science Advances, begins to untangle the role of an ancient viral DNA element called MERVL in mouse embryonic development and provides new insights into a human muscle wasting disease. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-ancient-viral-dna-early-embryonic.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:00:01 EST news685268881 Investigators from the laboratory of Derek Walsh, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology-Immunology, have discovered how human cytomegalovirus rewires intracellular mechanisms to control the movement of the cell nucleus, promoting infection and mediating cell migration, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-common-virus-rewires-intracellular-mechanisms.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:46:25 EST news685284361 From the moment an embryo starts to take shape, two-way communication is critical for making sure tissues and organs develop correctly. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-uncovering-early-embryonic-communications-stem.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:50:29 EST news685111801 A study from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), published in Nature Communications, reveals how enteroviruses—including pathogens that cause polio, encephalitis, myocarditis, and the common cold—initiate replication by hijacking host-cell machinery. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-uncovers-drug-huge-class-viruses.html Biochemistry Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:30:01 EST news685038272 The cells of all animals—including humans—are characterized by their ability to adhere particularly well to surfaces in their environment. This mechanically stable adhesion enables the development of complex tissues and organs and is made possible by certain cell surface receptors called integrins. However, it is unclear how this form of cell adhesion developed over the course of evolution, as many single-celled organisms do not have integrin receptors. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-biologists-reveal-ancient-cell-adhesion.html Evolution Sun, 14 Dec 2025 11:20:01 EST news684764421 Researchers from ETH Zurich have succeeded in introducing large quantities of unnatural amino acids into bacteria, enabling the creation of innovative and highly efficient designer proteins. These can be used as more efficient catalysts or more effective drugs. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-bacterial-imports-artificial-amino-acids.html Biotechnology Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:11:14 EST news684587461 An international research team has identified a human protein, ANKLE1, as the first DNA-cutting enzyme (nuclease) in mammals capable of detecting and responding to physical tension in DNA. This "tension-sensing" mechanism plays a vital role in maintaining genetic integrity during cell division—a process that, when disrupted, can lead to cancer and other serious diseases. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-human-dna-enzyme-physical-tension.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:48:26 EST news684514081 A collaborative effort by the Formosa-Jordan lab from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany, the Fox lab from Duke University, U.S., and the Roeder lab from Cornell University, U.S., developed a new computational pipeline that enables the high-throughput quantification of ploidy, i.e., the copy number of chromosomes, across tissues from microscopy images. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-spotlight-polyploid-cells-tool-uncovers.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:28:16 EST news684415681