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. Nature has invented countless types of pointy appendages, and scientists have long sought to explain what makes these structures so effective at puncturing other things. A new study models the key physical characteristics of puncturing tools to reflect their diversity in nature, finding that the shape of a biological tool is driven in part by trade-offs between its puncture efficiency and its ability to resist bending or buckling. The findings are described in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nature-tools-reveal-offs-piercing.html Plants & Animals Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:00:13 EDT news702700982 The shape of biological structures, ranging from flower petals to the limbs or organs of animals, is often naturally best suited for performing specific functions. Biological structures also often present curved surfaces with specific functional advantages, such as facilitating the drainage of water, increasing a structure's strength or aerodynamic efficiency, or supporting heavy loads. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-bioinspired-strategy-complex-3d-shrinkage.html General Physics Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:20:07 EDT news702118964 Biomaterials with extraordinary properties, such as spider silk, have so far been known primarily from animals. Researchers at the University of Salzburg in Austria have now deciphered a surprising counterpart from the world of single-celled organisms: The shells of tintinnids, microscopic planktonic organisms, consist of self-assembling structural proteins that form a particularly resilient material and are capable of absorbing UV light. This is the first description of a biomaterial produced by a eukaryotic single-celled organism (protist), establishing tintinnids as a new model system for the future development of advanced biomaterials. More than 200 years after the discovery of tintinnids, the composition of their shells has finally been deciphered. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-centuries-planktonic-shell-mystery-discovery.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:40:01 EDT news701618339 A research team from the Technion's Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering has developed an original technology for treating cancer using nanoparticles that carry no drugs at all and has demonstrated its effectiveness against particularly dangerous and stubborn tumors. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-drug-free-nanoparticles-tumor-growth.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:06 EDT news700909131 The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a marvel of nature, a highly effective killer that doesn't have to move an inch to capture and kill its prey. It releases a fruity nectar scent to attract flies and other insects. After they land in the trap, tiny hairs are triggered and the leaves shut with impressive speed. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-venus-flytrap-snap-rapid-cell.html Plants & Animals Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:11:47 EDT news700477872 From chewing to chomping to grinding, teeth suffer from a lifetime of repeated mechanical stress. It makes sense, then, that enamel is one of the hardest natural materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-molecular-picture-tooth-enamel-reveals.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:17 EDT news699278641 Bacteria from the Middle East have caused precipitation all the way out in California. The same bacteria, which are known to attack plants, have also been found embedded within lumps of hail in West Africa. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-proteins-ice-cool-applications-cryomedicine.html Biotechnology Tue, 19 May 2026 11:00:09 EDT news698321282 Many emerging medical technologies rely on seamless integration between biological systems and electronics. This requires materials that are soft, electrically conductive, and biologically active—properties that have been difficult to combine in a single system. Research teams led by Prof. Dr. Ivan Minev (TUD Dresden University of Technology, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden) and by Dr. Christoph Tondera (Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden and Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden at TUD) have now developed such a material. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-hydrogel-enables-electrical-biochemical.html Biochemistry Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:20:05 EDT news694182121 As human-caused climate change continues to raise temperatures across the globe, understanding how birds regulate their temperature is vital for their conservation. But how much heat birds emit—an invisible spectrum of radiation known as mid-infrared—has never been studied, until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-birds-space-hidden-feathers.html Plants & Animals Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:06 EDT news693044582 Two parallel experiments in protein self-assembly produced strikingly different results, demonstrating that protein designers should consider incorporating physical forces now missing from even Nobel-prize-winning protein design algorithms. The results, published in Nature Communications, also demonstrate that AI and machine learning have evolved to become essential tools for analyzing complex datasets to produce meaningful results. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ai-analysis-nanoribbon-reveals-protein.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:40:10 EDT news692885401 Researchers from Guangxi University, China have developed a new gas sensor that detects ammonia with a record speed of 1.4 seconds. The sensor's design mimics the structure of alveoli—the tiny air sacs in human lungs—while relying on a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. The sensor uses a process that is driven by A-droplets, which are tiny water droplets containing a trapped air bubble. These droplets exploit ammonia's affinity for water to rapidly capture NH₃ when it is present. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ammonia-leaks-seconds-alveoli-droplet.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:01 EST news690031091 All over the body are tiny sensors called nociceptors whose job is to spot potentially harmful stimuli and send warning signals to the brain and spinal cord, helping protect us from injury or tissue damage. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-artificial-pain-receptor-intensity.html Materials Science Sun, 18 Jan 2026 13:10:01 EST news687625645 Cilia are micrometer-sized biological structures that occur frequently in nature. Their characteristic high-frequency, three-dimensional beating motions (5–40 Hz) play indispensable roles inside the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-hydrogel-cilia-standard-microrobotics.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:00:05 EST news687602761 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers have created a new carbon-negative building material that could transform sustainable construction. The breakthrough, published in the high-impact journal Matter, details the development of enzymatic structural material (ESM), a strong, durable, and recyclable construction material produced through a low-energy, bioinspired process. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-material-absorbs-quickly-sustainable.html Materials Science Sat, 06 Dec 2025 15:30:02 EST news684257372 From cells that migrate to tissues that heal, nature abounds with systems capable of sensing and adapting to their surroundings. Replicating this level of adaptability in synthetic systems has remained a grand challenge in chemistry and materials science. Most artificial materials, though inspired by biology, still react to only one stimulus and lack the integrated responsiveness that characterizes living matter. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-supramolecular-robotics-enables-soft-materials.html Biochemistry Wed, 29 Oct 2025 14:10:01 EDT news680963985 Scientists at Heriot-Watt University have unlocked the secret behind how female sawflies make specific cuts to plants—a discovery that could revolutionize surgical instruments and dramatically reduce the cutting of healthy tissue during operations. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-smart-female-sawflies-surgery-patient.html Plants & Animals Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:08:05 EDT news678964081 Fungi are vital to natural ecosystems by breaking down dead organic material and cycling it back into the environment as nutrients. But new research from the University of Utah finds one species, Marquandomyces marquandii, a ubiquitous soil mold, shows promise as a potential building block for new biomedical materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-soil-fungus-durable-hydrogels-potential.html Biochemistry Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:24:04 EDT news678558241 The metamorphosis of butterflies from larvae to pupae to adulthood is a natural wonder. By investigating the developmental processes that occur within the pupa, transforming it into a butterfly, scientists have discovered a new twist in a process that forms an intricate nanostructure responsible for the vibrant green colors of their wings. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-braided-nanostructures-reveal-3d-tapestry.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:53:03 EDT news678444781 Coccolithophores are a type of single-celled microalgae that fix CO2 into organic matter and precipitate calcium carbonate, profoundly shaping ocean optics, carbon export, and long-term carbon storage. They are major contributors to ocean photosynthesis, especially in temperate and open-ocean waters. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-reveal-molecular-efficient-harvesting-largest.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:37:03 EDT news676895821 Flexible pressure sensors can detect subtle mechanical stimuli, making them suitable for use in wearable sensors for human health monitoring and motion analysis. However, current sensors suffer from insufficient sensitivity, poor durability, and subpar stability. In a new study, taking inspiration from cat whiskers, researchers developed novel biomass fiber/sodium alginate aerogel (BFA)-based sensors that demonstrated excellent pressure sensitivity, durability, and rapid response, while being suitable for human physiological monitoring and motion analysis. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-cat-whiskers-highly-sensitive-generation.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:20:13 EDT news676727295 The tongues of chameleons and salamanders might not seem like the inspiration for tomorrow's engineering breakthroughs, but inside the Deban Laboratory at the University of South Florida, biology and engineering are colliding to reveal how nature's designs could one day help solve challenges on Earth and beyond. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-videos-high-tongues-salamanders-chameleons.html Plants & Animals Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:10:03 EDT news676566120 By examining squid skin cells three-dimensionally, a University of California, Irvine–led team has unveiled the structures responsible for the creatures' ability to dynamically change their appearance from transparent to arbitrarily colored states. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-scientists-uncover-cell-squids.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:54:03 EDT news670240441 Some of the most innovative and useful inventions have been inspired by nature. Take the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan, whose aerodynamic design is modeled after the kingfisher bird. Or Velcro, which a Swiss engineer invented after observing that the burrs that stick to a dog's fur have tiny hooks in them. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-impact-resistant-material-mimics-mantis.html Nanomaterials Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:14:04 EDT news669993241 Imagine being tasked with baking a soufflé, except the only instruction provided is an ingredient list without any measurements or temperatures. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-chemical-storm-fronts-framework-enables.html Polymers Wed, 11 Jun 2025 17:14:04 EDT news668880841 Blood vessels are like big-city highways; full of curves, branches, merges, and congestion. Yet for years, lab models replicated vessels like straight, simple roads. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-customizable-chips-mimic-real-life.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 27 May 2025 16:20:03 EDT news667581601 Wouldn't it be amazing if we could continuously monitor the molecular state of our body? Consider the solutions that could enable, from optimized drug delivery to early detection of deadly diseases like cancer. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-nanoscale-biosensor-scientists-molecules-real.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 23 May 2025 05:00:09 EDT news667148933 On a wave-battered rock in the northern Pacific Ocean, a fish called the sculpin grips the surface firmly to maintain stability in its harsh environment. Unlike sea urchins, which use their glue-secreting tube feet to adhere to their surroundings, sculpins manage to grip without a specialized adhesive organ like tube feet or the suction cups of octopuses. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-microscopic-fin-features-sculpins-turbulent.html Plants & Animals Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:41:04 EDT news664641661 Associate Professor Konstantinos Vogiatzis' lab in the Department of Chemistry is leveraging computational chemistry to address excess carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The work is published in the journal ChemPhysChem. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-dipeptides-carbon-dioxide-capture-reveals.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:42:04 EDT news661603322 From smartphones to wind turbines, rare earth elements (REEs) are an essential part of the hardware in many advanced technologies. These elements, which include the lanthanides along with scandium and yttrium, are the backbone of industries that rely on unique properties such as luminescence, magnetism and catalytic ability. In fact, as our world moves toward more sustainable energy solutions and increasingly sophisticated technologies, the demand for REEs is projected to grow substantially. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-eco-friendly-rare-earth-element.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 12 Mar 2025 11:48:25 EDT news660998893 When spiders spin their webs, they use their hind legs to pull silk threads from their spinnerets. This pulling action doesn't just help the spider release the silk, it's also a crucial step in strengthening the silk fibers for a more durable web. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-spider-silk-stronger-aligning-protein.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 07 Mar 2025 14:00:07 EST news660500402