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. Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the deadliest cancers because it is often diagnosed late and is difficult to treat. However, a South Korean research team has developed "smart nanoparticles" that remain hidden in normal tissue but shed their protective coating and release anticancer drugs once they reach tumor tissue. This drug delivery technology is attracting attention for its potential to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment while significantly improving treatment efficacy. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-stealth-anticancer-nanoparticles-mussel-proteins.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:20:07 EDT news703326031 Female fertility depends on the successful growth and maturation of eggs (oocytes) within ovarian follicles. Within these follicles, the oocyte is surrounded by granulosa cells that supply nutrients, signaling molecules and structural support essential for egg development. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-microtubules-ovarian-cell-bridges-key.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news702215462 The sail-backed predator Dimetrodon is one of the most iconic animals of the early Permian—long before dinosaurs dominated Earth. Most known species of this early relative of mammals reached large body sizes, sometimes up to 3 meters (10 feet) in length and 250 kilograms (550 pounds). Yet some species remained surprisingly small. A new study by an international research team led by Dr. Aurore Canoville of the Friedenstein Stiftung Gotha and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin now shows that these small body sizes were achieved through very different growth strategies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-famous-predator-shrank-ways-fossils.html Evolution Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:00:04 EDT news700832821 Box jellyfish are often feared as dangerous animals, with some species capable of causing severe or even fatal stings. However, box jellyfish nematocysts—organelles responsible for this toxic sting—are theorized to also play an unexpected role in reproduction. While many studies focus on researching the range of toxicity levels exhibited by the more than 50 species of box jellyfish, their reproductive process is poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-jellyfish-reveal-secret-life-implications.html Plants & Animals Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:00:01 EDT news699533821 Well-preserved archaeological bone samples have different microbial communities than heavily degraded bone samples, providing a new understanding of how microbes contribute to bone degradation, according to a study published in PLOS One by Damla Kaptan from the University of Stavanger, Norway, and colleagues. This study combines detailed analyses of archaeological bone degradation with analyses of microbiome diversity, providing new insights into how microbes may contribute to long-term bone preservation and decay. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-link-specific-microbiomes-archaeological-bone.html Archaeology Wed, 27 May 2026 14:00:19 EDT news699026160 A study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology describes a new species of dinosaur discovered during construction of a road-rail terminal in the city of Davinópolis in the state of Maranhão, in the Northeast of Brazil. The animal, named Dasosaurus tocantinensis, was approximately 20 meters long and lived about 120 million years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-necked-dinosaur-northeast-brazil-european.html Evolution Wed, 06 May 2026 16:40:03 EDT news697300165 A research team from the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) has led the paleohistological study of Ampelomeryx ginsburgi, a giraffomorph ruminant from the Middle Miocene recovered at the Els Casots site (Catalonia, Spain). Through microscopic analysis of bone tissues, the researchers were able to determine that this peculiar animal reached skeletal maturity at three years of age, while reproductive maturity began around the second year. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ampelomeryx-grew-life-history-giraffe.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:40:07 EDT news696681781 It's well known that spaceflight causes muscle atrophy and other biological changes in reduced gravity, and especially in near-zero gravity (microgravity) environments. However, the gravity threshold needed to maintain sufficient muscle health in space is still unclear. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-iss-thresholds-muscle-atrophy-fiber.html Space Exploration Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:20:05 EDT news692881116 In reptiles, a simple temperature change can determine whether an egg develops into a male or female. This process is formally known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), in which the sex of an embryo is determined by the temperature it experiences during a specific window of development known as the temperature-sensitive period. For example, in American alligators, incubation at around 30 °C typically produces females, while temperatures near 33 °C produce males, although extremely high temperatures can again result in females. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-leopard-gecko-temperature-sex.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:20:04 EDT news692619661 Swallowing is a fundamental human function that supports nutrition and communication. Damage to swallowing muscles can reduce quality of life and even lead to aspiration pneumonia or malnutrition. Many patients suffer from swallowing difficulties after being treated for head or neck cancer, and swallowing disorders are also common in older adults, yet effective therapies have been limited. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-swallowing-nanogel-tweak-therapeutic-stem.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:20:04 EDT news692447342 An international team has described Foskeia pelendonum, a tiny Early Cretaceous ornithopod from Vegagete (Burgos, Spain), measuring barely half a meter long. Led by Paul-Emile Dieudonné (National University of Río Negro, Argentina), the study reveals an unexpectedly derived skull and positions Foskeia near the origin of the European herbivorous lineage Rhabdodontidae. The study is published in Papers in Palaeontology. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tiny-dinosaur-foskeia-pelendonum-evolutionary.html Evolution Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:10:01 EST news688994341 For decades, scientists have been counting annual growth rings—similar to tree rings—inside fossilized leg bones of Tyrannosaurus rex to estimate how old the giant carnivores were when they died and how quickly they grew to adulthood. The best estimates from previous studies were that T. rex typically stopped growing at around age 25. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-rex-grew-slowly-reveals-king.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 14 Jan 2026 07:00:03 EST news687517769 The mystery surrounding dozens of small dinosaur fossils has finally been solved. Remains previously thought to belong to miniature armored dinosaurs are actually baby ankylosaurs, offering scientists new insight into how these remarkable dinosaurs developed. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-armored-dinosaur-hatchling-china.html Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:22:13 EST news685023721 For decades, paleontologists argued over the lone skull used to establish the distinct species Nanotyrannus. Was it truly a separate species or simply a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex? A new paper published in Science has definitively shown that Nanotyrannus is, in fact, nearly fully grown and not an immature T. rex, at the same time revealing new insights into how these giant predators achieved such terrifying sizes so quickly. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-nanotyrannus-juvenile-rex.html Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:00:01 EST news683997790 Argentinian researchers have described a Carnian theropod with features previously thought to belong only to much later neotheropods, indicating greater early dinosaur diversity than expected as well as a possible climate-related ebb and return of dinosaur abundance in northwestern Argentina. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-early-dawn-dinosaur-evolution.html Evolution Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:00:01 EDT news680433581 Researchers have developed a novel application of histological staining to screen for ancient proteins in situ—within the fossil's microstructure—advancing the field of paleoproteomics by addressing long-standing challenges of contamination. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-visualizing-ancient-proteins-technique-reliably.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 20 Oct 2025 14:20:04 EDT news680188801 The pelvis is often called the keystone of upright locomotion. More than any other part of our lower body, it has been radically altered over millions of years to allow us to accomplish our bizarre habit of walking on two legs. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-evolutionary-makeover-big-evolution-human.html Evolution Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:00:02 EDT news675353821 Sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus) have been slowly disappearing from ocean floors over the last few decades, mostly due to overfishing for food and medicinal purposes. Despite their name, sea cucumbers are aquatic animals that have been shown to have a positive impact on coral in the ocean, as they reduce detrimental sediment while feeding on nearby bacteria and microalgae. To combat their decreasing natural populations, sea cucumbers are now often cultivated and farmed in a controlled commercial setting. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-vitamin-significantly-immune-function-sea.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:20:01 EDT news674133295 An international team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Vanderbilt University, and Delft University of Technology has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) method that virtually stains images generated through imaging mass spectrometry (IMS). The research is published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-deep-advances-imaging-mass-spectrometry.html Biochemistry Mon, 04 Aug 2025 09:17:04 EDT news673517822 Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital designed an ingestible capsule that delivers liquid mRNA to the intestines, producing gene expression and reducing inflammation in rats. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-mrna-pill-bypasses-gut-therapy.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:00:02 EDT news672915044 Five women scientists from Germany, Indonesia, and Wales have discovered two new species of wart sea slugs from North Sulawesi, Indonesia—Phyllidia ovata and Phyllidia fontjei. The discovery has been published in the journal ZooKeys. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-species-wart-sea-slugs-north.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:30:02 EDT news671793147 Capstan Therapeutics scientists demonstrate that lipid nanoparticles can engineer CAR T cells within the body without laboratory cell manufacturing and ex vivo expansion. The method using targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs) is designed to deliver messenger RNA specifically to CD8+ T cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-lipid-nanoparticles-car-cells-vivo.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:10:04 EDT news669891654 The dinosaur that welcomes visitors to the Natural History Museum harbors a fascinating history. Researchers have identified a severe bone infection in the dinosaur, which lived around 220 million years ago in Switzerland and met a sticky end in the mud. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-oldest-dinosaur-bone-infection-million.html Biotechnology Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:21:04 EDT news669291662 Researchers have found evidence of a previously unrecognized soft tissue structure in the cheek region of many dinosaur species, which they've called the "exoparia." The finding deepens our understanding of dinosaur anatomy and highlights the limitations of current methods of reconstructing parts of dinosaur anatomy that can't be well preserved. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-cheeky-discovery-scientists-previously-unknown.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 27 May 2025 10:07:04 EDT news667559222 A small bone found 30 years ago at Dinosaur Cove in southeastern Australia could turn what we know about the evolution of echidnas and platypuses on its head. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-extremely-rare-event-bone-analysis.html Evolution Mon, 28 Apr 2025 15:00:09 EDT news665050741 Spatial transcriptomics is a cutting-edge technique that characterizes gene expression within sections of tissue, such as heart, skin or liver tissue. These snapshots provide insights into how spatial organization affects cellular functions across the spectrum of biology and disease. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-analysis-tool-spatial-rna-sequencing.html Biotechnology Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:39:04 EDT news661001942 Biological tissues are made up of different cell types arranged in specific patterns, which are essential to their proper functioning. Understanding these spatial arrangements is important when studying how cells interact and respond to changes in their environment, as well as the intricacies of pathologies like cancer. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-deep-framework-advances-tissue-analysis.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 27 Feb 2025 11:56:03 EST news659879761 High-dose gold nanoparticle treatment outperformed orlistat in reversing obesity-related damage in rats, according to research conducted by Alexandria University, Erbil Polytechnic University, and Pharos University. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-egyptian-scientists-gold-nanoparticles-reverse.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:40:38 EST news658660133 While most animals reproduce sexually, some species rely solely on females for parthenogenetic reproduction. Even in these species, rare males occasionally appear. Whether these males retain reproductive functions is a key question in understanding the evolution of reproductive strategies. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-sex-formality-male-insects-lost.html Evolution Tue, 11 Feb 2025 14:42:03 EST news658507321 A team of physicists and engineers at the University of Strathclyde, in Scotland, working with a colleague from the University of Glasgow, has developed the means for 3D printing a microscope, including the lens, for under $60. In their paper posted on the bioRxiv preprint server, the group describes how they came up with the plans for the microscope and notes that the end result has a resolution strong enough to make out individual blood cells in test samples. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-team-3d-microscope-lens.html Biotechnology Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:15:41 EST news656072136