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. Like schools of fish and flocks of birds, our cells can also migrate collectively in coordination with their neighbors. This harmonious movement of cells occurs during embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. However, since individual cells can only sense limited local information, how they are able to coordinate as a larger collective has remained poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mechanisms-cell-movement.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 22 May 2026 18:20:03 EDT news698677743 New research by an interdisciplinary team in Lithuania has revealed a promising and unconventional approach to cartilage regeneration. Using extracellular vesicles derived from menstrual blood stromal cells, the researchers demonstrated their potential to stimulate cartilage repair—paving the way for a future cell-free therapy for osteoarthritis. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-menstrual-blood-derived-particles-osteoarthritis.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:40:03 EDT news695034481 Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have built a molecular "leash" to pull directly on a force-sensing protein called Piezo1, and discovered it switches on at about 15 piconewtons, proving that it can be activated by physical tethers, not only by membrane deformation. The study is published in the journal Nature Sensors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-leash-protein-piconewtons.html Biotechnology Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:00:03 EDT news694791302 Cell cultures—single layers of cells grown in a small dish—have enabled researchers to study biological growth, develop or test drugs and even discover what causes some diseases. Cell spheroids, 3D versions of cell cultures built using a process known as cell aggregation, are the next step in advancing this work, capable of more closely modeling real tissue. A new technology, invented by researchers from Penn State and detailed in a paper published in Advanced Science, could breathe fresh air into bottom-up tissue fabrication and potentially large-scale tissue engineering by addressing these issues. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cell-snowball-large-scale-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news694710961 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 Materials inspired by nature, or biomimetic materials, are nothing new. Scientists have designed water-resistant materials inspired by lotus leaves and rose petals, unsinkable metals based on the air-trapping, buoyant abilities of fire ants and diving bell spiders, and even Velcro was inspired by the sticky burrs from burdock plants. Now, a new study published in ACS Omega has taken a closer look at the biofilm-resistant abilities of python skin, which may have valuable applications in medical devices and industrial surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-python-scales-host-microstructures-block.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:20:06 EDT news693482214 The human kidney filters about a cup of blood every minute, removing waste, excess fluid, and toxins from it, while also regulating blood pressure, balancing important electrolytes, activating Vitamin D, and helping the body produce red blood cells. This broad range of functions is achieved in part via the kidney's complex organization. In its outer region, more than a million microscopic units, known as nephrons, filter blood, reabsorb necessary nutrients, and secrete waste in the form of urine. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-bioengineers-perfusable-kidney-ducts-3d.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:21:51 EST news689876461 As organisms develop from embryos, groups of cells migrate and reshape themselves to form all manner of complex tissues. There are no anatomical molds shaped like lungs, livers or other tissues for cells to grow into. Rather, these structures form through the coordinated activity of different types of cells as they move and multiply. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-spheroid-geometry-multicellular-orbiting-invasion.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:35:27 EST news688667701 Detecting cancer in the earliest stages could dramatically reduce cancer deaths because cancers are usually easier to treat when caught early. To help achieve that goal, MIT and Microsoft researchers are using artificial intelligence to design molecular sensors for early detection. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nanoparticles-ai-crafted-sensors-paths.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 06 Jan 2026 09:53:22 EST news686915581 Researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) are a step closer to finding the fountain of youth. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-extracellular-vesicles-key-halting-aging.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:48:42 EST news683988482 Within tissues, cells are embedded in complex, three-dimensional structures known as the extracellular matrix. Their biomechanical interactions play a crucial role in numerous biological processes. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) have now developed a novel lab-on-a-chip system based on intelligent hydrogel structures, which enables precise pressure forces to be applied to cellular microenvironments. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-smart-hydrogels-micromachines-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:02:40 EST news683917322 Caltech researchers have reintroduced a classic technique to image the formation and growth of individual cells that make up biofilms, sticky masses of millions of cells that are often responsible for antibiotic-tolerant infections. The method will help answer longstanding questions about how biofilms behave, offering insights that have the potential to help combat them in the context of chronic infections. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-reintroducing-classic-technique-perspective-bacterial.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:20:03 EDT news681056047 Seaweed is found around the world. In fact, the name "seaweed" comprises a diverse range of species, from microscopic phytoplankton to the giant forests found in various bodies of water. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-seaweed-eco-friendly-tissue-scaffolds.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:00:01 EDT news680191838 The story of the princess and the pea evokes an image of a highly sensitive young royal woman so refined, she can sense a pea under a stack of mattresses. When it comes to human biology, it also takes an abnormal individual to sense far beyond its surroundings, in this case, a cancer cell. Now, researchers also know that normal cells can pull a similar trick by working together. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-cells-environment.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:10:11 EDT news676901405 Researchers have captured the first clear view of the hidden architecture that helps shape a simple multicellular organism, showing how cells work together to build complex life forms. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-algae-reveal-geometry-life.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:09:03 EDT news674392141 Sustainable materials—powered by sunlight and living microbes—that remove pollutants from water, release oxygen into a wound or heal themselves after damage could become simpler to create thanks to new research by a team of biologists and engineers at the University of California San Diego. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-materials-easier-larger-palette-ingredients.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 01 Jul 2025 10:40:31 EDT news670585227 A team from the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) in Elche, has revealed how a structure essential for fly flight, the haltere, is formed. This small organ, located behind the main wings, functions as a biological gyroscope that helps the insect stay stable in the air. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-flies-gyroscopes-reveals-flight-stabilizers.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Jun 2025 04:00:01 EDT news668676421 Most people have encountered the black, gray, or pink stains of bacterial biofilms built up on the bathroom tiles or kitchen sink. Even with vigorous scrubbing and strong cleaning chemicals, this grime can be difficult to remove and often returns with vengeance. A new study, published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, reports a novel, two-step method to effectively dismantle bacterial biofilms and prevent regrowth. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-method-dismantles-bacterial-biofilms-regrowth.html Biochemistry Thu, 22 May 2025 15:18:03 EDT news667145881 Sustainably produced, biodegradable materials are an important focus of modern materials science. However, when working with natural materials such as cellulose, lignin or chitin, researchers face a trade-off. Although these substances are biodegradable in their pure form, they are often not ideal when it comes to performance. Chemical processing steps can be used to make them stronger, more resistant or more supple—but in doing so, their sustainability is often compromised. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-versatile-fungi-based-material-resistant.html Biochemistry Tue, 13 May 2025 11:09:03 EDT news666353341 A new study by Vanderbilt investigators has uncovered a previously unknown biological mechanism: how tissues detect and respond to damage in basement membranes, the thin layers of extracellular matrix that surround and support nearly every organ in the body. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-tissues-body-hidden.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 12 May 2025 10:30:03 EDT news666264601 Cells have a mailing system of sorts. They can release tiny molecular balls, called extracellular vesicles (EVs), that contain biological matter or messages and attach to other cells to share whatever they contain. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-hood-probing-molecular-mechanisms-metastasis.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 05 May 2025 11:15:41 EDT news665662538 When children lose their baby teeth, there is an adult set already growing beneath the gums, ready to emerge. But if we lose our permanent teeth, there aren't any more waiting in the wings. Right now, the options for replacing these lost teeth are either dentures or titanium implants, neither of which provide the same function and feedback as a real, living tooth. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-pigs-regrow-adult-teeth-humans.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:05:20 EDT news664819509 The cells in human bodies are subject to both chemical and mechanical forces. But until recently, scientists have not understood much about how to manipulate the mechanical side of that equation. That's about to change. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-mechanical-encode-function-cells-fibrosis.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:16:04 EDT news662044561 Biofilms, ubiquitous bacterial communities embedded in a slimy matrix, are the oldest form of multicellularity on Earth; they are extremely resistant to antibiotics and stick tenaciously to most surfaces, including living tissue. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-sticky-situation-insights-antibiotic-resistant.html Ecology Thu, 06 Mar 2025 12:11:03 EST news660485461 Cells have surface receptors called integrins that bind to repetitive domains present on the extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding the cells, allowing them to grow and spread. A new study from the Department of Bioengineering (BE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and collaborators shows that tweaking the spacing between these binding domains on the ECM can boost the efficiency of ultrasound treatment applied to kill cancer cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-gold-nanodots-boost-cancer-cell.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 18 Feb 2025 03:20:01 EST news659067510 There are a multitude of products for sale that promise the appearance of eternal youth by erasing wrinkles or firming up jaw lines; but what if we could truly turn back time, at the cellular level? Now, researchers from Japan have found a protein that may do just that. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-key-protein-toggles-young-states.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 17 Feb 2025 15:19:09 EST news659027946 Before arriving at Janelia three years ago, Postdoctoral Scientist Antonio Fiore was designing and building optical instruments like microscopes and spectrometers. Fiore, a physicist by training, came to the Pedram Lab to try something new. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-cells-microscopy-probe-unprecedented-view.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:19:04 EST news658509541 Key cells in the brain, neurons, form networks by exchanging signals, enabling the brain to learn and adapt at incredible speed. Researchers at the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands (TU Delft) have developed a 3D-printed brain-like environment where neurons grow similarly to a real brain. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-3d-nanopillars-mimic-brain-environment.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 30 Jan 2025 04:00:01 EST news657302101 In mechanobiology, cells' forces have been considered fundamental to their enhanced function, including fast migration. But a group of researchers in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis has found that cells can generate and use lower force yet move faster than cells generating and using high forces, turning the age-old assumption of force on its head. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-cell-migration-doesnt-generating.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 09 Jan 2025 15:53:45 EST news655660413 Researchers from the Organoid group at the Hubrecht Institute have developed a new way to grow organoids. Organoids are tiny organs that are grown in the lab and mimic the original organ. The researchers were able to grow organoids using Invasin, a protein produced by bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-bacteria-sustainable-solution-organoids.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 02 Jan 2025 11:20:01 EST news655037247