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 A large international team has developed a new compound that showed strong antiviral activity against HIV, including some drug-resistant variants. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-compound-potential-drug-resistant-hiv.html Biochemistry Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:40:06 EDT news707125081 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 The COVID vaccine is perhaps the first thing many people think of when they hear about mRNA-based drugs. Small packages of genetic material are sent into the body, prompting cells to produce useful proteins in the fight against the virus. But the list of diseases that can potentially be treated with mRNA-based drugs is much broader than vaccines. mRNA is expected to be used to treat disorders including cardiovascular diseases, rare hereditary diseases and autoimmune diseases—and not least, cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-petri-dish-tomorrow-drugs-human.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news707054701 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 Bats are anomalies in the mammalian world—they fly, have long lifespans and rarely get cancer. Scientists now suspect the bat immune system enables them to live longer without disease, according to a new study published today in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dna-virus-defense-longevity-cancer.html Evolution Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:00:08 EDT news706874342 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 Fibrinogen, the abundant plasma protein best known for forming blood clots, may play a second and far less benign role during SARS-CoV-2 infection: acting as a molecular bridge that simultaneously hides the virus from neutralizing antibodies and delivers it to the cells lining blood vessels. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-blood-clotting-protein-sars-cov.html Biochemistry Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:00:01 EDT news706783360 A study conducted in the Swiss Alps by the University of Lausanne and the University of Milan shows that glacier retreat and changing vegetation could influence the spread of certain pathogens between honeybees and wild bees. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-glacier-retreat-diseases-bees.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:20:02 EDT news706800363 Since the COVID-19 pandemic, developing surfaces that can inactivate viruses upon contact has become an important goal in public health care. Ideally, such surfaces would work on their own without requiring chemical disinfectants, so they could offer consistent protection in hospitals, public transportation and other shared spaces. This has driven scientists worldwide to search for durable antiviral materials that can be used in everyday surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ball-milling-antiviral-inexpensive-inorganic.html Biochemistry Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:10:02 EDT news706804921 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 A new nanoparticle vaccine could one day give patients immunity to the flu with fewer trips to the doctor and without requiring health officials to correctly guess which flu strains will become dominant each year. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nanoparticle-flu-vaccine-influenza-strains.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:00:03 EDT news706523163 A new study from researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) has uncovered a previously unknown consequence of viral infection: Too much RNA inside a cell can disrupt its ability to produce energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-rna-starve-cells-energy.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:30:03 EDT news706379761 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 Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan in collaboration with FUJIFILM have developed a novel way of delivering circular RNA (cirRNA) into cells, paving the way for longer-lasting mRNA-based therapeutics including cancer vaccines and GLP-1 obesity treatments. The research is published in Cell Biomaterials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-lipid-nanoparticle-capped-circular-rna.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:00:21 EDT news706201501 Red blood cells serve as the foundation for nanocarriers that show promise in a new study as effective and efficient vehicles for gene therapy, tumor targeting and other medical treatments. Scientists at The Ohio State University have showed that the engineered extracellular vesicles could evade immune cells and target cancer cells, two capabilities that could improve the delivery of future therapies. The study is published in Advanced Healthcare Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-red-blood-cells-generation-therapeutic.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:00:01 EDT news706192142 A research team led by Director Kim V. Narry at the Center for RNA Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has discovered compact viral RNA elements that can make mRNA more stable and increase protein production. These elements could provide a simple way to develop longer-lasting and more efficient mRNA technologies for vaccines and other RNA-based therapeutics. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-stable-rna-elements-possibilities-mrna.html Biotechnology Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:20:04 EDT news705931142 A host that sheds an abundance of parasites might seem like an obvious disease-spreading threat. But new research suggests that shedding large volumes of parasites does not dictate transmission efficiency—and "super-shedders" may not be the superspreaders of infectious disease outbreaks. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-quality-quantity-super-shedders-superspreaders.html Ecology Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:40:01 EDT news705916929 Respiratory infectious diseases and air pollution remain persistent global health challenges. Yet the tools used to monitor airborne threats are often expensive, power-hungry and difficult to deploy outside laboratories. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterfly-technology-air.html Environment Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news705923941 Every 15 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies from a drug-resistant superbug. A few decades from now, antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections threaten to become the leading cause of death worldwide, outpacing cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mutation-hotspots-friendly-viruses-outmaneuver.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:50:01 EDT news705860402 A vaccine's molecular structure plays a key role in determining how the immune system responds and prepares to protect the body from future exposure to a specific pathogen. To develop a vaccine that offers long-term protection from HIV, it's essential to promote a long-lasting immune response in which immune cells and antibodies prepared to combat the virus persist within the body. This has inspired scientists to find ways to alter vaccine structure to increase the duration and persistence of the immune response. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fine-tune-molecular-vaccines-immune.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:10:02 EDT news705858421 Designing an effective antibody drug is like searching for the right key in a warehouse of locks. Scientists may begin with millions—or even billions—of antibody candidates, but only a tiny fraction will recognize and bind tightly to the disease target. Identifying those rare candidates has long been one of the biggest challenges in developing antibody medicines. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-biology-antibodies-drug-discovery.html Biotechnology Thu, 13 Aug 2026 05:00:03 EDT news705763776 Most antibiotics used clinically are based on natural compounds produced by bacteria and other microorganisms. At the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), researchers are using soil-dwelling myxobacteria as a source of new active ingredients. They are able to discover new active compounds primarily in bacteria that have not yet been extensively studied. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-myxobacteria-reveal-classes-bioactive.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:10:01 EDT news705771001 From the American West to Europe, droughts are drying up rivers, fueling destructive fires and reshaping ecosystems. They are also changing the spread of infectious diseases, leading to surges in illnesses like cholera and West Nile virus around the world. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-drought-reshaping-infectious-diseases.html Ecology Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:00:11 EDT news705749461 Fever is one of the best-known mechanisms by which animals combat infectious diseases. Sick animals can increase their body temperature in two ways: through physiological regulation, by altering internal metabolic processes, or through behavioral changes, such as seeking warmer environments. Ectothermic animals, including amphibians, fish and reptiles, generally rely only on the latter strategy. However, fever is not always the most effective response against every pathogen. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fever-isnt-infected-tadpoles-cool.html Plants & Animals Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:00:08 EDT news705587942 In a world first, scientists led by a team from Stanford University have created 16 viable viruses that do not exist in nature and were designed by AI. Their experiment, which is published in Science, could help in the fight against superbugs by allowing researchers to design customized viruses to kill drug-resistant bacteria. Thomas Inglesby and Moritz S. Hanke have published a Perspective piece on the work and its implications in the same edition of the journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sixteen-ai-viruses-route-drug.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 10 Aug 2026 07:00:01 EDT news705314814 All living organisms need vitamin B12 to form red blood cells and DNA, as well as to build and support brain and nerve cells. But it's hard to come by: Humans don't make it. Animals don't make it. Plants don't make it. In fact, this essential nutrient is made exclusively by certain bacteria and archaea. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-phages-essential-vitamin-b12-gut.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:40:06 EDT news705320644 Nanoscience, which studies small objects, has a big problem. According to a team of scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the field confronts a pervasive data analysis error that can give misleading insights into how these tiny objects' properties depend on their size. The team also offers a practical solution—a mathematical correction that can reveal how these materials truly behave. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sizing-errors-true-nanoparticle-behavior.html Nanomaterials Thu, 06 Aug 2026 03:00:02 EDT news705141061 For decades, scientists have accepted that the immune system naturally weakens with age. Georgia Tech biomedical engineer and Carl Ring Family Professor Ankur Singh wasn't convinced. Then the COVID-19 pandemic made the stakes impossible to ignore. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nanowires-key-functions-aging-cells.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 05 Aug 2026 17:30:02 EDT news705168721 From routine surgeries to cancer treatment, modern medicine depends on drugs that can fight infections caused by microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. But some microbes are becoming resistant to the drugs used to treat them, which has wide-reaching consequences for global public health. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-backpack-lab-wastewater-contamination-drug.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:40:01 EDT news705142621