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. Professor Kyungwho Choi's team of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with Professor Jinsoo Kim's team in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Kyung Hee University, have proposed a strategy that simultaneously overcomes the limitations of conventional hydrogel-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs)—namely low output performance, poor mechanical strength, and insufficient transparency—by utilizing biomimetic stevia. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-everyday-sweetener-powerful-transparent-stretchable.html Materials Science Mon, 11 May 2026 11:20:06 EDT news697713363 A stretchy, conductive type of plastic could help power the next generation of implantable biomedical devices, like longer-lasting pacemakers or glucose monitors, according to Enrique Gomez, professor of chemical engineering at Penn State. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-stretchy-plastics-electricity-tiny-whisker.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:20:04 EST news691062601 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 "Self-driving" or "autonomous" labs are an emerging technology in which artificial intelligence guides the discovery process, helping design experiments or perfecting decision strategies. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-ai-advisor-labs-creation-generation.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 18 Dec 2025 16:20:01 EST news685296797 Researchers have developed a new class of ultra-thin, flexible bioelectronic material that can seamlessly interface with living tissues. They introduced a novel device called THIN (transformable and imperceptible hydrogel-elastomer ionic-electronic nanomembrane). THIN is a membrane just 350 nanometers thick that transforms from a dry, rigid film into an ultra-soft, tissue-like interface upon hydration. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-ultra-thin-nanomembrane-device-soft.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:00:03 EST news684522781 Researchers have designed and demonstrated stretchable waveguides that maintain efficient, stable signal transmission of surface plasmon polaritons even when bent, twisted or stretched. These plasmonic waveguides could make it possible to seamlessly embed advanced sensing, communication and health monitoring functions into everyday wearable materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-stretchable-waveguides-stable-transmission-bent.html Condensed Matter Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:28:03 EDT news678979681 Machine-learning models can speed up the discovery of new materials by making predictions and suggesting experiments. But most models today only consider a few specific types of data or variables. Compare that with human scientists who work in a collaborative environment and consider experimental results, the broader scientific literature, imaging and structural analysis, personal experience or intuition, and input from colleagues and peer reviewers. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-ai-driven-blends-literature-robotics.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:34:05 EDT news678029641 A research team has developed a next-generation display core material with excellent stretchability and superior color reproduction. The team developed a high-performance color-conversion layer that is more flexible and vivid than conventional ones. This layer was successfully applied to the development of a stretchable micro-LED display, drawing significant attention. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-quantum-dot-polymer-linking-enables.html Nanomaterials Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:14:03 EDT news676563241 Over the past decades, computer scientists have developed increasingly sophisticated sensors and machine learning algorithms that allow computer systems to process and interpret images and videos. This tech-powered capability, also referred to as machine vision, is proving to be highly advantageous for the manufacturing and production of food products, drinks, electronics, and various other goods. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-retina-photodiodes-advance-machine-vision.html Nanophysics Wed, 27 Aug 2025 07:00:02 EDT news675345373 Over time, scar tissue slows or stops implanted bioelectronics. But new interdisciplinary research could help pacemakers, sensors and other implantable devices keep people healthier for longer. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-semiconducting-polymer-strategies-scar-tissue.html Polymers Tue, 06 May 2025 15:42:06 EDT news665764923 Sunburns and aging skin are obvious effects of exposure to harmful UV rays, tobacco smoke and other carcinogens. But the effects aren't just skin deep. Inside the body, DNA is literally being torn apart. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-supercomputer-molecular-blueprint-dna.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 12 Mar 2025 17:33:05 EDT news661019581 Researchers in the Nanoscience Center at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have used machine learning and supercomputer simulations to investigate how tiny gold nanoparticles bind to blood proteins. The studies discovered that favorable nanoparticle-protein interactions can be predicted from machine learning models that are trained from atom-scale molecular dynamics simulations. The new methodology opens ways to simulate the efficacy of gold nanoparticles as targeted drug delivery systems in precision nanomedicine. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-machine-supercomputer-simulations-interactions-gold.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:36:58 EST news651166606 Flexible piezoelectric sensors are essential to monitor the motions of both humans and humanoid robots. However, existing designs are either costly or have limited sensitivity. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-electrospun-nanofibers-flexible-piezoelectric-sensors.html Nanomaterials Wed, 12 Jun 2024 10:54:44 EDT news637408481 Engineered protein filaments originally produced by bacteria have been modified by scientists to conduct electricity. In a study published recently in the journal Small, researchers revealed that protein nanowires—which were modified by adding a single compound—can conduct electricity over short distances and harness energy from moisture in the air. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-bacteria-nanowires-green-electronics.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:30:01 EDT news633604852 Carbon nanostructures could become easier to design and synthesize thanks to a machine learning method that predicts how they grow on metal surfaces. The new approach, developed by researchers at Japan's Tohoku University and China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University, will make it easier to exploit the unique chemical versatility of carbon nanotechnology. The method was published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-machine-carbon-nanotechnology.html Nanomaterials Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:44:03 EST news625916642 A recent study published in Nature Electronics discusses stretchable graphene–hydrogel interfaces for wearable and implantable bioelectronics. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-laser-graphene-extremely-temperatures-ultrathin.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 11 Jan 2024 13:01:40 EST news624200497 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 Australian researchers have developed a molecular-sized, more efficient version of a widely used electronic sensor, in a breakthrough that could bring widespread benefits. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-electronic-sensor-size-molecule-potential.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 03 Oct 2023 10:10:46 EDT news615546640 A group of researchers has unearthed the secrets behind a tiny but crucial protein that shuttles zinc ions (Zn2+) within our bodies. The discovery offers a deeper understanding of how our cells maintain optimal health. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-advanced-technology-reveals-intricate-zinc.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 31 Aug 2023 11:08:36 EDT news612698909 Creating novel materials by combining layers with unique, beneficial properties seems like a fairly intuitive process—stack up the materials and stack up the benefits. This isn't always the case, however. Not every material will allow energy to travel through it the same way, making the benefits of one material come at the cost of another. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-big-nanoscale-gaps.html Nanophysics Fri, 18 Aug 2023 10:14:17 EDT news611572452 Drawing inspiration from natural sensory systems, an MIT-led team has designed a novel sensor that could detect the same molecules that naturally occurring cell receptors can identify. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-sensor-mimics-cell-membrane-functions.html Biotechnology Fri, 21 Jul 2023 14:00:01 EDT news609147182 Transcription factor IIH, or TFIIH, pronounced "TF two H," is a veritable workhorse among the protein complexes that control human cell activity. It plays critical roles both in transcription—the highly regulated enzymatic synthesis of RNA from a DNA template—and in the repair of damaged DNA. But how can one protein assembly participate in two such vastly different and extremely important genomic tasks? https://phys.org/news/2023-07-dna-repair-protein-complex-shapeshifter-reconfiguring.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:00:04 EDT news608205601 In a new report now published in Science Advances, Mingze Sun and a research team in physics, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering in Hong Kong China reported the development of multifunctional tendon-mimetic hydrogels by assembling aramid nanofiber composites. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-tissue-bioinspired-multi-functional-tendon-mimetic-hydrogels.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 27 Feb 2023 09:49:07 EST news596713740 Certain electronics that integrate with the human body—a smartwatch that samples your sweat, for instance—work by converting the ion-based signals of biological tissue into the electron-based signals used in transistors. But the materials in these devices are often designed to maximize ion uptake while sacrificing electronic performance. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-polymers-enable-wearable-devices.html Polymers Mon, 06 Feb 2023 09:33:48 EST news594898424 A team based at Princeton University has accurately simulated the initial steps of ice formation by applying artificial intelligence (AI) to solving equations that govern the quantum behavior of individual atoms and molecules. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-simulation-artificial-intelligence-ice.html General Physics Mon, 08 Aug 2022 15:00:01 EDT news579174348 Ovarian cancer kills 14,000 women in the United States every year. It's the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women, and it's so deadly, in part, because the disease is hard to catch in its early stages. Patients often don't experience symptoms until the cancer has begun to spread, and there aren't any reliable screening tests for early detection.  https://phys.org/news/2022-05-perception-based-nanosensor-platform-advance-ovarian.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 16 May 2022 12:06:01 EDT news571921556 UCLA researchers have developed a unique design of ultrathin films for highly flexible yet mechanically robust bioelectronic membranes that could pave the way for diagnostic on-skin sensors that fit precisely over the body's contours and conform to its movements. https://phys.org/news/2022-03-ultrathin-stretchable-sturdy-bioelectronic-membranes.html Materials Science Wed, 02 Mar 2022 12:58:18 EST news565448291 Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK have found a way to make 'single-crystal flake' devices that are so thin and free of defects, they have the potential to outperform components used today in quantum computer circuits. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-superconducting-flakes-components-quantum.html Quantum Physics Tue, 28 Sep 2021 10:17:34 EDT news552043051 Graphene, hexagonally arranged carbon atoms in a single layer with superior pliability and high conductivity, could advance flexible electronics according to a Penn State-led international research team. Huanyu "Larry" Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in Penn State's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM), heads the collaboration, which recently published two studies that could inform research and development of future motion detection, tactile sensing and health monitoring devices. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-graphene-lasers-wearable-health-devices.html Nanophysics Fri, 03 Sep 2021 10:09:07 EDT news549882543 Viruses kill millions around the world each year. "In addition to the novel coronavirus, leading viral killers include hepatitis, HIV, HPV," said Lela Vukovic, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Paso. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-atomistic-simulations-ai-based-nanoscale-therapeutics.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 01 Sep 2021 12:45:32 EDT news549719125