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. Imagine doctors could understand exactly which cells caused a patient's cancer or whether pathogens contributed to the disease. They could then use the information to tailor a treatment plan to the patient's specific cancer. But answering such questions would mean wading through data from thousands of experiments locked in massive databases around the globe. Moreover, the search would take at least several days. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-google-cell-rna-previously-impossible.html Biotechnology Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:00:03 EDT news707135222 Rock weathering, the breakdown and dissolving of rocks and minerals caused by their exposure to water, air and biological life, is a major regulator of Earth's atmospheric CO2 levels and climate. Throughout Earth's history, rock weathering has been faster during warm periods with increased atmospheric CO2 levels. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-weathering-carbon.html Earth Sciences Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:20:01 EDT news707129918 As fertilizer prices remain elevated, researchers at South Dakota State University are developing an innovative solution to corn's nitrogen supply problems by taking inspiration from an ancient Mexican variety and root nodules found on soybeans. In a new study, published in Plant and Soil, the researchers demonstrate how hydrogel beads may offer a promising way to naturally supply plants with nitrogen. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nature-scientists-tiny-nitrogen-factories.html Biotechnology Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:20:05 EDT news707124781 As multidrug antibiotic resistance emerges as a potent public health challenge, medical science has renewed attention on the potential for bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that target, infect and replicate inside bacteria, destroying them in the process. To help maximize the success rate of this approach, researchers recently modeled the dynamics of bacteriophage therapy to explain particular therapies and optimize the composition of bacteriophage cocktails. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-hard-early-diverse-phage.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:40:03 EDT news707065621 Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest challenges facing modern medicine. A new class of programmable antibiotics known as asobiotics can be used to treat bacterial infections when classical antibiotics fail. A team of researchers from TWINCORE, Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; the RESIST Cluster of Excellence; and the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg has now studied how bacteria adapt to asobiotics. They recently published their findings in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-resistance-programmable-antibiotics.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:40:05 EDT news707059561 Many plant species parasitize other plants by latching on and taking the nutrients their hosts need to survive. But sometimes, plants steal more than nutrients; they take genes. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-parasitic-genetic-remodeling-genes.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:00:06 EDT news707049722 One of the world's favorite sweet treats, chocolate, may have been enjoyed in eastern North America much earlier than previously thought, about 1,000 years ago. New research published in the journal PLOS One suggests that people in the Mississippian city of Etowah were consuming cacao, the plant used to make chocolate, in the 11th and 12th centuries. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-dna-reveals-cacao-consumed.html Archaeology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:00:08 EDT news707041258 What does a clean room smell like? Many people say citrus, pine, or flowers because these fragrances are common in cleaning products. A research team led by Brandon Boor found that scent compounds in cleaning products—conventional and botanical essential oil-based—quickly react in the air, forming nanoparticles that can travel deep into the lungs if inhaled. To reduce exposure to this invisible pollution, the team suggests using unscented products, running exhaust fans, and avoiding ozone-generating devices while cleaning. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scented-cleaners-nanoparticles-deep-lungs.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:03 EDT news706883273 Scientists have been hard at work for more than 20 years to instruct biological systems, such as E. coli cells, to produce proteins they don't naturally produce. Success could mean faster, cheaper, more innovative solutions for medicine, agriculture, materials science, environmental remediation and other industries. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-reworked-trnas-enable-protein-amino.html Biotechnology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:20:03 EDT news706973702 When it comes to invading healthy cells, Legionella bacteria rely on blending in rather than breaking in. New research from Van Andel Institute scientists demonstrates how a protein produced by Legionella mimics the behavior of the host cell's own proteins. This mechanism allows the protein, RomA, to change how the host's genes are regulated and create conditions that help the bacteria survive and multiply. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-legionella-bacteria-cell-playing.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:10:01 EDT news706974241 Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have developed a set of molecular tools to regulate the activity of specific genes in one of the most common classes of intestinal bacteria. The ability to genetically manipulate these microbes could lead to a better understanding of the role they play in human physiology and disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genetic-toolkit-abundant-intestinal-microbes.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:40:06 EDT news706879185 Researchers are gauging the effectiveness of electron beams in the fight against foodborne pathogens in poultry. "Impact of Electron Beam (eBeam) Treatment on Meat Quality and Sensory Attributes of Ground Chicken and Turkey" is published in the journal Poultry Science. At the heart of the study is eBeam, a nonthermal technology that uses high-energy electron beams to cause irreparable damage to pathogen DNA. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-electron-poultry-pathogens-turkey-quality.html Biotechnology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:00:01 EDT news706878602 University of Oregon biologists have resurrected prehistoric proteins up to 160 million years old that carry natural antimicrobial properties. The revived molecules could inspire the design of new treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections, a pressing global health issue. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scientists-resurrect-ancient-proteins-antibiotic.html Biotechnology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:07 EDT news706801801 The bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii poses a substantial threat in health care settings, readily forming biofilms on wounds and medical surfaces and contributing to persistent infections and delayed healing. Its growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and status as a WHO critical-priority pathogen underscore the urgent need for new wound management strategies. However, many current treatments are ineffective against its biofilms. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cow-gut-enzyme-bacterial-biofilms.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news706867141 In the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, researchers from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and the University of São Paulo (USP) describe the role of three bacteria in suppressing a soil-borne wheat pathogen that causes root rot. The study paves the way for the development of inoculants that can be used in agriculture. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-ancestral-wheat-microbiomes-root.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:20:04 EDT news706801322 Understanding how bacteria influence one another is essential for understanding how microbial communities are formed and maintained. Researchers at Umeå University have now systematically mapped interactions between common gut bacteria, creating one of the most comprehensive datasets of its kind. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gut-bacteria-cooperation.html Ecology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:40:07 EDT news706795922 Plants might seem helpless when it comes to insect attacks, but they are known to employ various techniques to deter pests. One of these techniques involves sending out signals to recruit parasitoid wasps, and a new study, published in Cell Reports, has found that at least one plant can extend this deterrent system to future generations growing in the same soil. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cowpea-underground-defense-generation-insect.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:30:01 EDT news706793779 Bacteria, too, depend on good neighborly relations: A new study by the Osnabrück University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge in England, shows that soil bacteria live in beneficial communities and frequently exchange nutrients with one another. The study, led by Prof. Dr. Christian Kost, has now been published in the journal Nature Microbiology. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-bacteria-amino-acids-survive.html Ecology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:20:09 EDT news706789741 What helps plants cope better with drought? With heat waves and periods of extreme drought becoming increasingly common worldwide, the need for drought-tolerant plants is increasingly urgent. With the help of bacteria, plants can unlock traits that help them cope with drought, securing biodiversity and food safety. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tiny-root-hairs-big-impact.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:07 EDT news706789562 Antarctica is one of the driest, coldest places on Earth. Very little life survives its extremes. In the soils scattered around the frozen ice sheets, however, communities of microbes do survive. And one of the keys to their success is a surprisingly communal strategy. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-antarctic-bacteria-lifesupport-genes-survive.html Ecology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:40:03 EDT news706789202 The use of antibiotics has traditionally been considered the gold standard in bacterial infection control—the more bacterial cells you kill, and the faster you kill them, the better. University of Tennessee, Knoxville Professor Dacheng Ren champions a different approach: engineer an antibiotic-free surface that prevents bacteria from establishing an infection at all. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-biofilm-topography-bacterial-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news706447144 Scientists analyzed the genomes of gut microorganisms from an extensive population of 875 wild house mice (Mus musculus) collected from farms in Germany. They searched for genes responsible for resistance to common antibiotics and correlated the presence of these ARGs in the mice with a range of environmental and host variables, such as land use and farming practices, livestock density for cattle, pigs and poultry, sex and physical condition of the mice, as well as climatic variables. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-farm-mice-antibiotic-resistance-environmental.html Ecology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:00:10 EDT news706441021 Why is there sex—or, more precisely, sexual reproduction? If you're an evolutionary biologist, the answer isn't obvious. Sexual reproduction is biologically costly, requiring not only competition for mates but also the creation of entire populations in which only half the individuals can give birth. That reality has led scientists to wonder why it arose in the first place. After all, in asexual reproduction—as occurs when bacteria divide—not only can you skip the wooing and its costs, but every individual is a potential mother. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sex-evolutionary-baggage.html Evolution Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:40:05 EDT news706437972 Researchers from Monash University, in collaboration with the University of Warwick, have discovered how the bacterial antibiotic "gladiolin" can disarm Candida albicans, one of the leading causes of life-threatening fungal infections, opening new avenues for developing life-saving treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-discovery-scientists-deadly-fungal-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:00:01 EDT news706364881 As antimicrobial resistance grows around the world, novel therapies to counter it become increasingly important. Phages—viruses that infect bacteria—are an exciting avenue of research in this regard, providing a means to selectively kill pathogenic bacteria, even those resistant to traditional antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-viral-loose-cannon-enzyme-phages.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:20:04 EDT news706360571 New research reveals that microbial clocks—forensic tools that track the succession and development of bacteria and fungi involved in decomposition after death—are highly accurate for estimating time since death, or postmortem intervals (PMIs), across different environments and between pigs and humans. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-microbial-clocks-accurately-death-climates.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:00:04 EDT news706360562 A team of researchers reports that they may have found rock containing some of the earliest forms of microbial life on Earth. Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes the biosignatures found in this 3.5-billion-year-old, carbon-rich, layered rock, called chert. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-layered-india-potential-microbial-life.html Earth Sciences Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:30:02 EDT news706270423 Tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the United States. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported, with nearly half a million people diagnosed each year. Caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, it is most often spread by bites from blacklegged ticks. Lyme can be treated with antibiotics, but if untreated, infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system, and some people can experience persistent symptoms. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-year-ecological-lyme-disease.html Ecology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:00:12 EDT news705920766 The complete genome of the tuberculosis bacterium was sequenced and published in 1998. Since then, scientists have deciphered about two-thirds of TB's genes. Or have they? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tb-gene-reveals-unexpected-biological.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:00:06 EDT news705927228 A new study underscores the importance of studying microbes in their natural setting rather than relying solely on laboratory research. Researchers found that a set of corn root bacteria behaved completely differently when grown on the plant rather than in a lab, with thousands of proteins changing when placed in their natural habitat. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-microbes-drastically-behavior-lab.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:00:02 EDT news706186142