Biological materials, as physical systems, comprise substances produced by or derived from living organisms, characterized by hierarchical organization from molecular to macroscopic scales and emergent structure–property relationships. They include tissues, extracellular matrices, biominerals, and biopolymers such as collagen, chitin, cellulose, and elastin. Their properties arise from complex architectures combining organic and often inorganic phases, enabling functions such as load bearing, protection, adhesion, and signal transduction. Biological materials exhibit viscoelasticity, anisotropy, self-healing, and adaptive remodeling under mechanical or biochemical stimuli, making them central model systems for biomechanics, biomimetics, and the design of advanced bioinspired and biomedical materials.
Often, physics can be used to make sense of the natural world, whether it's understanding gravitational effects on ocean tides or using powerful physics tools, like microscopes, to examine the inner workings of the cell. ...
General Physics
Jun 3, 2025
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Imagine drawing on something as delicate as a living cell—without damaging it. Researchers at the University of Missouri have made this discovery using an unexpected combination of tools: frozen ethanol, electron beams and ...
Bio & Medicine
May 20, 2025
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A research team has developed an innovative membrane that mimics biological ion channels to achieve highly selective lithium ion separation from complex brines. Their study is published in Nature Communications, and the researchers ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 30, 2025
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33
What if doctors could guide life-saving treatments through the body using only a magnet? An interdisciplinary collaboration at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering is bringing that concept closer to ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 29, 2025
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51
A joint research team has developed a modular protein adapter technology that enables the stable attachment of various substances to the surface of extracellular vesicles (exosomes). It was designed to enable functional molecules ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 24, 2025
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53
Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University and colleagues have developed a promising new approach to cancer treatment. By using tiny, naturally occurring particles called extracellular ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 10, 2025
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Anyone who's ever tried tiling a floor, a backsplash or even an arts-and-crafts project probably knows the emotional frustration of working with pieces whose shapes don't perfectly complement each other. It turns out, though, ...
General Physics
Apr 8, 2025
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121
Researchers will soon be able to study biological changes at scales and speeds not previously possible to significantly expand knowledge in areas such as disease progression and drug delivery.
Optics & Photonics
Mar 20, 2025
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29
With the long-term goal of creating living cells from non-living components, scientists in the field of synthetic biology work with RNA origami. This tool uses the multifunctionality of the natural RNA biomolecule to fold ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 17, 2025
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55
The skin serves as the body's primary defense against harmful microorganisms, toxins, and physical damage. However, severe injuries from burns, trauma, surgery, or conditions like diabetes can compromise its ability to heal ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 12, 2025
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