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. Researchers at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB), led by Prof. Gracjan Michlewski, have shown that a subtle difference at the very beginning of an RNA molecule can influence how strongly a cell activates innate immune antiviral responses. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-rna-letter-antiviral-alarms-outpacing.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 15 May 2026 18:20:01 EDT news698071986 The production of many products used in everyday life and in industry, such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, and coatings, requires chemical catalysts, often expensive noble metals with limited availability. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are now presenting the first air-stable iron compound, which enables the direct use of iron(I) for catalysis and, unlike previous methods, does not require strong reducing agents. A first test yielded active iron catalysts. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-sustainable-chemistry-iron-substitutes-noble.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 15 May 2026 16:20:01 EDT news698071973 All cells, whether big or small, short or long, rely on proteins to function properly. In most cells, transporting these proteins is relatively simple. Neurons in the brain, however, face a significant logistical challenge because their axons, the thread-like structures that carry electrical impulses, can extend for meters. As a result, essential materials produced in the cell body must travel enormous distances to reach the ends of axon terminals. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-neuron-imaging-captures-unconventional-receptor.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 15 May 2026 15:20:03 EDT news698059304 Liquid crystals are an integral part of modern technology, ranging from displays to advanced sensory systems. In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers from the Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (IEP SAS) in Košice, in collaboration with international partners, have demonstrated how minute changes in material composition can achieve precise control over behavior in electric and magnetic fields. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-hidden-threshold-enables-tunable-liquid.html Soft Matter Fri, 15 May 2026 15:00:04 EDT news698072581 For years, scientists have warned that melting Antarctic ice could push sea levels dangerously higher by the end of this century. But a new study led by University of Maryland scientist Madeleine Youngs suggests those warnings may still be too conservative because they leave out a crucial factor: the ocean's own complex circulatory system. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-hidden-antarctic-ice-loss.html Earth Sciences Fri, 15 May 2026 14:40:01 EDT news698071801 Researchers from A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore (A*STAR GIS) have developed a new method to study individual RNA molecules and reveal how their structures influence gene regulation, a fundamental process that affects how cells function in health and disease. Their work was published in Nature Methods. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-molecule-rna-reveal-shifts-health.html Biotechnology Fri, 15 May 2026 14:20:03 EDT news698071081 If you have ever warped a cheap plastic cup by pouring coffee into it, then you have witnessed thermoplasticity in action. Thermoplasticity is the ability of a material to become pliable under heating. In industry, thermoplasticity is exploited to form materials into complex shapes using heat. However, some materials, such as aggregates of nanoparticles, are not thermoplastic and cannot be easily processed without affecting their particle morphology and properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-exploiting-interfacial-ionic-mobility-moldable.html Nanophysics Fri, 15 May 2026 14:00:09 EDT news698068921 According to a study published in Science Advances on May 15, global rivers are undergoing widespread and sustained deoxygenation driven by climate warming, among which tropical rivers are the most vulnerable ecosystems, with an urgent need to combat oxygen loss. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-tropical-rivers-emerge-biggest-oxygen.html Environment Fri, 15 May 2026 14:00:02 EDT news698070781 Researchers have long known that bacteria could potentially be used to deliver therapeutic drugs inside the human body. However, safely and successfully carrying out such a feat in humans has been a challenge. But now, researchers from Harvard have made another step forward toward the goal of using microbes as medicine. Their recent study, published in Science, details a novel method for containing engineered bacteria to keep them from infecting their host while still successfully delivering potentially life-saving medications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-implantable-bacteria-safely-major-hurdle.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 15 May 2026 13:01:47 EDT news698068840 It is one of the strangest puzzles in human evolution. About 90% of people across every human culture favor their right hand—with no other primate species showing a population-level preference on this scale. Despite decades of research into the brains, genes and development behind handedness, why humans ended up so overwhelmingly right-handed has remained an evolutionary enigma. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-why-is-almost-everyone-right.html Evolution Fri, 15 May 2026 13:00:06 EDT news698068021 Earthquakes can visibly and permanently crack the ground apart in dramatic and unpredictable surface fault rupture, but new research led by University of Michigan Engineering revealed that soil density strongly influences how and where they occur. The paper is published in the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-dense-soils-earthquake-surface-ruptures.html Earth Sciences Fri, 15 May 2026 12:20:04 EDT news698064759 The Na+-NQR enzyme is vital for energy production in pathogenic bacteria like the one that causes cholera, making it a highly promising target for new antibiotics. Researchers combined modified artificial intelligence techniques with extensive supercomputer simulations to visualize the hidden, dynamic movements of this enzyme during sodium transport. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-bacterial-energy-enzyme-reveals-dual.html Biotechnology Fri, 15 May 2026 12:00:03 EDT news698064602 Over the past decade, cities around the world have increasingly turned to nature-based infrastructure to become more resilient in the face of a changing climate. Urban forests provide shade during heat waves and improve air quality; wetlands filter stormwater and reduce flooding; and restored oyster reefs filter water, create habitat and reduce wave energy along shorelines. When carefully designed and managed, these "nature-based solutions" can support climate adaptation, biodiversity and public health. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-qa-evolution-reshape-urban-forests.html Evolution Fri, 15 May 2026 11:40:05 EDT news698061664 Climate change is widely understood as an environmental and economic threat, but new research from the University of Sydney shows it is also a growing social crisis, weakening the relationships people rely on to survive. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-climate-social.html Social Sciences Fri, 15 May 2026 11:20:01 EDT news698061421 Every human cell is surrounded by a sugar coating known as the glycocalyx. It not only interacts with its environment but also reveals a great deal about cells' internal states. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) have mapped sugar structures on cell surfaces using high-resolution microscopy. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nanometer-scale-cell-sugar-reveals.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 15 May 2026 10:55:05 EDT news698061234 University of Delaware geologist Jessica Warren has contributed to research that brings us one step closer to better understanding how earthquakes operate. Situated along a stretch of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, between Indonesia and Central America, the Gofar transform fault is one of the fastest moving faults on Earth—cruising along the seafloor at about 140 millimeters per year. This is over four times faster than the San Andreas fault is moving in California. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-fast-gofar-fault-reveals-quiet.html Earth Sciences Fri, 15 May 2026 10:40:03 EDT news698060101 Controlling heat flow is a major challenge for many technologies. In electronic and photonic devices, for example, heat dissipation can limit the performance and efficiency, as well as their potential for further miniaturization. At the same time, two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are made of layers just a few atoms thick, have emerged as a promising platform in these fields. For example, 2D semiconductors are expected to be used in conduction channels of future transistors. However, their thermal behavior remains difficult to predict and control. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-honey-regime-ultrathin-semiconductors.html Nanophysics Fri, 15 May 2026 09:20:01 EDT news698054064 How do sea squirts stay attached to rocks amid crashing waves and strong currents? Recent research has revealed that sea squirts do not simply secrete adhesive substances. Instead, they possess a unique system where they package these materials into nano-sized (nm) condensates, deliver them to the destination, and then unpack them for use onsite. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-sea-squirts-nano-packaging-delivery.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 15 May 2026 09:07:46 EDT news698054822 After the success of Artemis II, longer space journeys are expected, raising new health and nutritional challenges for astronauts. Current space foods rely on dried, shelf-stable items. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-customizable-essential-nutrients-space-missions.html Space Exploration Fri, 15 May 2026 08:58:50 EDT news698054281 When NASA scientists first observed a particular radio burst from the sun in August 2025, there was nothing unusual about it. But then the radio burst kept going. Typically, solar radio bursts like these last a few hours to days. But this one was different. By the time it was over, the radio burst had lasted 19 days—far exceeding scientists' expectations and the previous record, which lasted just five days. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nasa-missions-track-radio-sun.html Astronomy Fri, 15 May 2026 08:50:27 EDT news698053801 Finding highly venomous box jellyfish that are almost invisible in water is not an easy task—but researching them is crucial so that we can learn how to safely avoid them. Stings from these "sea-wasps" are extremely painful and can be fatal. Knowing more about box jellyfish helps us know where to expect them, when to expect them, and how we can minimize the risk of encountering them while out for what should be a pleasant swim. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-species-venomous-jellyfish-singapore.html Plants & Animals Fri, 15 May 2026 08:49:22 EDT news698053742 Even large and conspicuous insects remain unknown to science. This is highlighted by a new study from the Natural History Museum Denmark, where researchers have discovered and described 61 new species within the rove beetle genus Platydracus. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-beetle-species-reveal-biodiversity.html Plants & Animals Fri, 15 May 2026 08:44:26 EDT news698053441 Researchers have developed a mathematical method that enables more precise calculations of the most economical travel routes between the orbits of celestial bodies. To demonstrate this method, they calculated a more efficient path between Earth's and the moon's orbits than any previously described in the scientific literature. The study is published in the journal Astrodynamics. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mathematical-method-efficient-earth-moon.html Space Exploration Fri, 15 May 2026 05:30:01 EDT news698037277 New research led by the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL) has revealed that pollution from coal-fired power plants is significantly reducing the energy output of solar photovoltaic (solar PV) installations, particularly where these are expanding side by side. The findings have been published in Nature Sustainability. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-coal-pollution-solar-power-output.html Environment Fri, 15 May 2026 05:00:03 EDT news697966561 A team of engineers at the University of Florida has developed a new form of CRISPR technology that could make diagnostics and treatments safer, more precise, and more affordable, while opening the door to entirely new ways of controlling disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-discovery-reshape-rna-dna-crispr.html Biotechnology Fri, 15 May 2026 05:00:02 EDT news697972006 Multi-year La Niña events—so-called "double-dip" or even "triple-dip" La Niñas—are becoming more common. But why do these events persist for multiple years in the first place? https://phys.org/news/2026-05-la-nia-lingers-uncover-mechanisms.html Earth Sciences Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:01 EDT news697966442 A collaboration between electrical and chemical engineers at Newcastle University is responsible for a reversible glue that can change how we recycle electronic waste. The team has already demonstrated reversible adhesive technology with wide applicability in general packaging applications, but this new glue is electrically conductive. This means that it can join electronic components, just like solder does. Unlike solder, however, a simple wash with a green solvent like acetone, or using an alkaline solution, will allow the components to be separated for reuse or recycling. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-reversible-reshape-electronics-recycling-material.html Materials Science Thu, 14 May 2026 18:00:01 EDT news697991182 Alternative therapies that aid the body's immune system to fight bacteria have shown promise in addressing the global threat of antibiotic resistance. University of Queensland researchers have found when under attack, the body's immune cells activate a cellular process called mitochondrial fission to kill invading bacteria. Their study is published in the journal Science Immunology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mitochondrial-fission-immune-cells-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 14 May 2026 17:20:49 EDT news697998001 As densely populated coastal communities struggle to keep up with rising sea levels, new research reveals a way to predict how river deltas build land and protect coastal regions from encroaching oceans. This insight will help engineers and policymakers estimate how much new land can be created or maintained when human intervention is used to redirect river channels, making these efforts more effective for coastal restoration and flood protection. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-thumb-sustainability-river-deltas.html Earth Sciences Thu, 14 May 2026 17:10:33 EDT news697997401 As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, researchers from 23andMe Research Institute, Harvard University, and the Smithsonian Institution have teamed up to study one of the country's founding settlements: St. Mary's City, Maryland. Established in 1634, St. Mary's City was the first English settlement in the colony of Maryland. Despite existing written records and the ability of many present-day Americans to trace their ancestry to the historic city, many gaps remain in our knowledge of this early founder population. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-historical-dna-million-17th-century.html Archaeology Thu, 14 May 2026 17:03:19 EDT news697996981