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. Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurological disorders associated with later life, and its prevalence rises sharply with age. It affects the brain systems that control movement, often causing tremor, stiffness, slowness and problems with balance, all of which can reduce independence and quality of life in older adults. The condition is mainly linked to the gradual loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanostructure-ultrasound-potential-parkinson-treatment.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:00:08 EDT news711038281 For the first time, researchers have directly imaged the magnetization dynamics inside a spin Hall nano-oscillator—a nanoscale device that converts direct current into tunable microwave signals and is a promising building block for energy-efficient wireless communication and brain-inspired computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nano-oscillator-imaged.html Nanophysics Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:20:10 EDT news709380362 Physicists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a technology that uses quantum sensors to measure biomagnetic signals, such as heart activity. Researchers from the DIAQNOS (DIAmond-based Quantum Sensing for NeurOSurgery) flagship project, coordinated by Dr. Arne Wickenbrock in Mainz, have demonstrated the potential of quantum technology for future medical applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-diamond-quantum-sensors-heart-magnetism.html Condensed Matter Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:40:08 EDT news708854822 Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by progressive memory loss and a decline in other mental functions. Past studies have consistently linked this disorder to the accumulation of the protein amyloid-β (Aβ) between brain cells, ultimately resulting in the formation of so-called amyloid plaques. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gold-nanoclusters-alzheimer-amyloid-plaques.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:00:01 EDT news706177996 Ants live in highly organized colonies and cooperate daily to tackle a wide range of problems. Their striking group behaviors have fascinated biologists for centuries and even inspired the development of various artificial intelligence (AI) systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ant-teams-gravity-based-puzzle.html Plants & Animals Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:20:10 EDT news704987373 Scientists created an AI system that uses facial recognition and real-time touchscreen testing to automate cognitive studies of capuchin monkeys in the wild. The American Journal of Primatology published a proof-of-concept for the novel method—dubbed CapuchinAI—developed by researchers at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-era-cognitive-wild-primates.html Plants & Animals Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:00:02 EDT news704556415 In a first, a large, international team led by multiple labs at Harvard Medical School and Princeton University has published a complete wiring diagram of all the connections between neurons in the central nervous system of an adult fruit fly. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-publish-connectome-fruit-fly-brain.html Cell & Microbiology Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:00:05 EDT news700146657 This week's notable citations: Astronomers believe collapsing stars could spawn mini universes. Chimpanzees do not like unfairness. And a single dose of psilocybin temporarily restored function in an 80-year-old with Alzheimer's disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-saturday-citations-jaxa-collaboration-toy.html Other Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:20:01 EDT news700486404 As a part of a study testing out a new type of implanted brain-computer interface (BCI), three rhesus monkeys controlled movements in a virtual reality (VR) world using only brain signals. The study, published in Science Advances, demonstrates a major step toward practical BCIs that can work outside of lab conditions. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-monkeys-virtual-forest-thought-brain.html Plants & Animals Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:30:01 EDT news695563610 Modern armor systems do not do a good enough job of protecting humans from blast-induced neurotrauma (brain and eye damage). To improve them, we may have to look to nature. In particular, a tiny shrimp that is able to protect itself from the shockwaves it generates to stun prey and rivals. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-tiny-shrimp-clue-armor.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:40:01 EST news690031101 This week, researchers identified the role of the brain's protein clean-up system in dementia. Fecal transplants show promising benefits in treating multiple cancer types. And biologists found that saltwater crocodiles traveled thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-saturday-citations-procrastination-delicious-baby.html Other Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:50:01 EST news688996118 Scientists working to enhance brain-computer interface (BCI) technology—which allows people to control devices with their thoughts—have found they can improve the performance of electrodes implanted in the brain by targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-platelet-nanoparticles-boost-brain-interface.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:10:01 EST news684493200 At 10 one-millionths of a meter wide, a single human cell is tiny. But something even smaller exerts an enormous influence on everything a cell does: proton concentration, or pH. On the microscopic level, pH-dependent structures regulate cell movement and division. Altered pH response can accelerate the development of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-condense-decades-disease-biology-days.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 12 Nov 2025 04:05:51 EST news682142735 Picture the smartphone in your pocket, the data centers powering artificial intelligence, or the wearable health monitors that track your heartbeat. All of them rely on energy-hungry memory chips to store and process information. As demand for computing resources continues to soar, so does the need for memory devices that are smaller, faster, and far more efficient. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-atom-thin-crystals-power-future.html Nanophysics Fri, 12 Sep 2025 09:14:04 EDT news676887241 A research team has successfully developed the technology to fabricate high-sensitive biosensors by simply spraying, like an inkjet printer. The technology enables the fabrication of sensitive and precise sensors without expensive and complex equipment, and is expected to contribute to improving the fabrication scale and speed of biosensors in the future. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-inkjet-style-technique-high-sensitivity.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:15:04 EDT news676563302 Brain–computer interfaces are technologies that enable direct communication between brain activity and external devices, enabling researchers to monitor and interpret brain signals in real time. These connections often involve arrays of tiny, hair-like electrodes called "microelectrodes" which are implanted within the brain to record or stimulate electrical activity. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-hybrid-nanotube-electrodes-safer-brain.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:10:04 EDT news676112998 Artificial intelligence and high-performance computing are driving up the demand for massive sources of energy. But neuromorphic computing, which aims to mimic the structure and function of the human brain, could present a new paradigm for energy-efficient computing. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-liquid-droplets-play-tic-tac.html Soft Matter Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:10:14 EDT news673099325 In the same vein as weather forecast models that predict developing storms, researchers have now developed a method to predict the cell activity in tissues over time. The new software combines genomics technologies with computational modeling to predict cell changes in behavior, such as communication between cells that could cause cancer cells to flourish. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-software-simulates-cancer-cell-behavior.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Jul 2025 11:00:10 EDT news672557075 A research team from the Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-3) at Forschungszentrum Jülich, working with partners across Germany, has developed an innovative technique for folding flexible, high-density microelectrodes into three-dimensional shapes inspired by the Japanese paper art of kirigami. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-scientists-3d-neuroprobes-based-kirigami.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:30:03 EDT news669295507 A chance discovery led a team of scientists from Rice University, University of Cambridge and Stanford University to streamline the production of a material widely used in medical research and computing applications. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-chance-discovery-stability-bioelectronic-material.html Polymers Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:30:07 EDT news662646050 Imagine a future where your phone, computer or even a tiny wearable device can think and learn like the human brain—processing information faster, smarter and using less energy. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-brain-nanotech-path-smarter-electronics.html Nanophysics Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:05:04 EST news655466702 Extraterrestrial and artificial life have long captivated the human mind. Knowing only the building blocks of our own biosphere, can we predict how life may exist on other planets? What factors will rein in the Frankensteinian life forms we hope to build in laboratories here on Earth? https://phys.org/news/2024-12-earth-alien-worlds-exploring-fundamental.html Astrobiology Tue, 24 Dec 2024 10:02:03 EST news654256921 After thousands of years as a highly valuable commodity, silk continues to surprise. Now it may help usher in a whole new direction for microelectronics and computing. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-2d-silk-protein-layers-graphene.html Nanomaterials Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:40:10 EDT news645889201 Researchers who want to bridge the divide between biology and technology spend a lot of time thinking about translating between the two different "languages" of those realms. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-electrochemical-transistors-scientists-chemical-mystery.html Polymers Tue, 30 Apr 2024 14:22:04 EDT news633705721 Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a neural implant that provides information about activity deep inside the brain while sitting on its surface. The implant is made up of a thin, transparent and flexible polymer strip that is packed with a dense array of graphene electrodes. The technology, tested in transgenic mice, brings the researchers a step closer to building a minimally invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) that provides high-resolution data about deep neural activity by using recordings from the brain surface. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-transparent-brain-implant-deep-neural.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 11 Jan 2024 05:00:01 EST news624125007 Modern pharmaceutical research generates large amounts of data faster than ever before. To analyze and evaluate this data, it is collected and structured in extensive databases and thus provides the basis for the development of new active ingredients. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-databases-combine-science-pharmaceutical.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 09 Jan 2024 11:23:35 EST news624021812 Interaction between machines and humans is paramount to the development of the new technologies of the metaverse, which are designed to augment the human experience through cloud computing and extended reality (XR). Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon material, has emerged as an ideal candidate for wearable sensor technology, paving the way for a new era of seamless human-machine interaction (HMI). https://phys.org/news/2023-11-carbon-based-sensors-poised-seamless-human-machine.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:19:16 EST news618495552 Conventional implantable medical devices designed for brain stimulation are often too rigid and bulky for what is one of the body's softest and most delicate tissues. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-flexible-nanoelectrodes-fine-grained-brain.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 30 May 2023 13:41:04 EDT news604672861 Scientists at EPFL have developed PeSTo, an AI model that can predict, with high confidence, the binding interfaces of proteins when they bind other proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, ions, and small molecules. The model's low computational cost enables the processing of large amounts of structural data, opening up opportunities for new biological discoveries. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-pesto-ai-tool-protein-interactions.html Biotechnology Wed, 10 May 2023 09:32:08 EDT news602929924 Researchers at Empa, ETH Zurich and the Politecnico di Milano are developing a new type of computer component that is more powerful and easier to manufacture than its predecessors. Inspired by the human brain, it is designed to process large amounts of data fast and in an energy-efficient way. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-perovskite-nanocrystal-components-brain-cells.html Nanomaterials Wed, 08 Mar 2023 10:19:08 EST news597493141