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. Molecular machines are regarded as the next step in miniaturization. Their models can be found in living cells, where molecular motors convert energy and generate movement. Scientists have been working for decades to artificially replicate such systems. The 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for this research. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-archimedes-molecule-motor-powered-electric.html Nanophysics Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:40:01 EDT news711972181 Human cells hold about two meters (6.6 feet) of DNA, folded and compacted to fit inside a nucleus. That packing is essential for life, but it creates a problem for scientists. Some of the genes that control a cell's identity are buried so deep in tightly packed DNA that gene-targeting tools such as CRISPR activation, or CRISPRa, struggle to reach them. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quick-crispr-skin-cells-neurons.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:20:09 EDT news711963602 Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new class of light-activated compounds that could lead to safer and more versatile applications in 3D printing, cosmetics and medicine. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nontoxic-compound-safer-3d-advanced.html Biochemistry Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:00:02 EDT news711899581 Applying eyedrops is difficult in space, where there is almost no gravity. A KAIST research team has developed a wearable patch that delivers eyedrops to the eye without relying on gravity. The research team was led by Professor Ki-Hun Jeong from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, in collaboration with a research team led by Professor Se Joon Woo from Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. The paper is published in the journal Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-eyedrops-space-wearable-patch-approach.html Space Exploration Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:00:04 EDT news711719304 DNA is not randomly distributed within the nucleus but is packaged with proteins into chromatin, which is precisely folded into complex three-dimensional structures. However, scientists have not fully understood how this complex three-dimensional (3D) organization is regulated or how it changes over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-spatial-genomics-tool-range-dna.html Cell & Microbiology Sun, 18 Oct 2026 16:00:02 EDT news711209463 When someone is badly injured, doctors urgently need two facts: the patient's blood type, so that a transfusion is safe, and their hematocrit, the share of the blood made up of red blood cells, which reveals blood loss or anemia. Hospitals measure both with large machines that need electricity and trained staff, which are often unavailable in ambulances, disaster zones or remote clinics. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-cranked-device-blood-red-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:01 EDT news711200507 Like the folds in crumpled sheets or the footprints on recently trodden sand, certain materials mark their histories. Now, Yale researchers show that networks of flowing water and other fluids can store their own memories—similar to how a computer chip does—an innovation that could steer robots and provide insight into some simple organisms. The results are published in Physical Review X. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-memory-chip.html General Physics Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:27 EDT news711190396 Australian scientists have used high-speed video to uncover the unique mechanism that allows a honey bee's stinger to continue to pump venom into its target even after it has separated from the bee's body. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-high-video-reveals-honey-bee.html Plants & Animals Mon, 12 Oct 2026 15:00:01 EDT news710753522 Light sheet microscopy allows biologists to selectively light up a thin slice of a sample. This method can improve image contrast by reducing background light while remaining gentle on the sample, reducing photodamage and photobleaching. Rice University's Anna-Karin Gustavsson has published a method in Nano Letters that expands the use of light sheet microscopy to work with a single objective in commercially available sample chambers. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-3d-inserts-sheet-microscopy-commercial.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 08 Oct 2026 15:50:01 EDT news710692262 Research led by a group from the University of Newcastle has found a new way to make silicone surfaces—and control how slippery they are. The work was published in the journal Chemistry of Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-smart-silicone-coatings-friction-stickiness.html Nanomaterials Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:40:13 EDT news710156282 Assault facilitated by drugs such as scopolamine (popularly known as Devil's Breath) is a serious public health and forensic concern. This drug is especially hazardous due to its strong amnesic, sedative and hallucinogenic effects, combined with its lack of color, odor and taste, which prevents it from being detected when ingested. Despite its toxicological importance, there are still few methods available for the rapid onsite detection of scopolamine. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-device-devil-beverages-minutes.html Biochemistry Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:40:10 EDT news710064061 Microorganisms regulate key processes in soils and aquifers, including nutrient cycling, carbon turnover and contaminant degradation. Many bacteria use chemotaxis, the ability to sense and swim toward chemical signals, to locate nutrient-rich hotspots. However, natural subsurface environments are highly heterogeneous, containing complex pore networks that create strong variations in fluid flow and nutrient availability. How these physical conditions influence bacterial foraging has remained poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-soil-heterogeneity-bacteria-nutrients.html Ecology Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:20:02 EDT news709383257 Researchers have developed an organoid-on-a-chip technology that verifies the efficacy of Parkinson's disease treatments in real time. The technology combines a stem cell–derived "mini-brain" with a nanoplasmonic sensor engineered to maximize light–matter interaction. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-gold-nanoplasmonic-chip-tracks-dopa.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:00:04 EDT news709290021 Researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) have developed microfluidic technology that can grow cells in three dimensions (3D). The goal is to conduct toxicity tests on new products by more accurately simulating living organisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microfluidic-device-simulates-human-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:20:04 EDT news708868411 An electrical fingerprint found on tiny particles in the blood may help detect signs of pancreatic cancer that are often overlooked, according to new research from Rice University. The researchers developed a device that separates these particles based on their electrical charge, making cancer-associated signals more visible. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-electrical-fingerprint-tiny-cell-particles.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 09 Sep 2026 19:40:09 EDT news708189841 Superfluid helium could offer a new way to tackle one of the biggest challenges in scaling up quantum computers, say researchers from the University of Surrey. The research team has introduced a conceptual design for a new type of qubit that could be much less vulnerable to errors. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-superfluid-qubit-scale-quantum.html General Physics Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:00:05 EDT news708076622 A research team from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed an innovative "one-pot" testing platform, known as TEMPO, that could transform highly sensitive nucleic acid testing from a laboratory-based procedure into a simple, single-step test that can be performed at home. With a single reaction tube, users can obtain results comparable to those of professional laboratory tests in as little as 30 minutes. The breakthrough has the potential to bridge the technological gap between existing rapid tests and laboratory-based nucleic acid diagnostics, offering a more convenient solution for future infectious disease surveillance and genetic screening. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pot-crispr-platform-lab-sensitivity.html Biotechnology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:40:03 EDT news707406541 Sweet, salty, crunchy or creamy—no matter how it's munched, the Virginia peanut has been a cash crop for the commonwealth for much of the past two centuries. But a fungal disease called Sclerotinia blight has decimated peanut plant populations in recent years, with severe outbreaks causing up to a 50% yield loss. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-peanut-sensors-fend-fungus.html Biotechnology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:20:07 EDT news707396761 A new way to imprint complex surfaces on low-cost, sustainable polymers could be used in a wide range of industries, including water-repellent coatings, optical devices and data storage disks. The complex nano- and microscale patterns on sulfur-derived polymers, unveiled this week in the ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces journal, build on a wide range of green chemistry solutions led by Flinders University. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-power-lasers-durable-nano-patterns.html Nanophysics Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:00:04 EDT news707393341 Every cell in the body contains essentially the same DNA, yet a brain cell behaves differently from a muscle cell or an immune cell. The difference lies largely in how each cell reads its genetic instructions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-largest-human-cells-dna-chemical.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:20:01 EDT news706276802 Red blood cells serve as the foundation for nanocarriers that show promise in a new study as effective and efficient vehicles for gene therapy, tumor targeting and other medical treatments. Scientists at The Ohio State University have showed that the engineered extracellular vesicles could evade immune cells and target cancer cells, two capabilities that could improve the delivery of future therapies. The study is published in Advanced Healthcare Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-red-blood-cells-generation-therapeutic.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:00:01 EDT news706192142 Biofilms—bacterial communities encased in a sticky, polymer-rich matrix—can be difficult to treat because that matrix slows antibiotics and drug-carrying particles. With help from salt, though, Yale researchers have found a way to steer these particles into some biofilms and even deform the biofilm itself in certain cases. The study is published in Soft Matter. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-salt-drug-particles-deeper-difficult.html Biochemistry Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:40:05 EDT news705580741 In a study published in Nature Communications biophysicists unravel the mystery of how muscles form at the molecular level and maintain their function. The findings may help design treatments for muscle diseases such as dilated cardiomyopathy, one of the leading causes of heart failure. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-mystery-muscle-cells-stay.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:40:07 EDT news704643001 Cells are typically studied outside the body under controlled laboratory conditions. However, conventional flat cell culture methods do not fully reproduce the complex three-dimensional environments that cells experience in living tissues. Tiny hydrogel capsules offer one way to culture cells in a confined three-dimensional space, allowing researchers to study how cells grow, organize and interact under more tissue-like conditions. Current methods to do this come with a high cost and a set of requirements that put such research out of reach to many. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-workflow-uniform-cell-capsules-standard.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:20:07 EDT news699544861 The task of gently transporting a microscopic particle from one point to another along a winding path, and then bringing it back using nothing more than a single, compact chip is a challenge we set out to address in our new study, now published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-optical-metaconveyors-enable-programmable-nanomanipulation.html Nanophysics Wed, 13 May 2026 18:00:02 EDT news697800686 Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed a solid polymer coated with harmless viruses to detect the bacteria Salmonella enterica (S. enterica), an advance that could lead to new ways of finding contamination in the food supply. The work is published in the journal ACS Applied Bio Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-harmless-viruses-salmonella-flexible-polymer.html Biochemistry Thu, 07 May 2026 18:20:01 EDT news697389961 A new autonomous laboratory recently navigated through billions of potential material synthesis recipes to identify brighter, lead-free light-emitting nanomaterials in just 12 hours. The work could accelerate development of safer light-emitting nanoplatelets for use in applications ranging from photodetectors to the production of fuel from solar energy. A paper describing this work appears in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ai-powered-lab-brighter-free.html Nanomaterials Mon, 04 May 2026 18:20:02 EDT news697125962 Researchers from Brown University and their collaborators have developed a new way to measure the properties of cells—an important development, they say, because accurate measurements of changes in cell elasticity can be used to better understand diseases, diagnose patient symptoms and provide more accurate prognoses. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microfluidic-device-tracks-cell-squishiness.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 25 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news696307587 Researchers at DTU have developed a new method that can reduce the time needed to find new bacteria for fermentation. They have now identified a bacterium that can be used both for acidification and to increase the vitamin B2 content of soya drinks. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacteria-bumblebees-vitamin-soya.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:20:04 EDT news695038142 Materials that repel water are used in countless applications, including industrial separation processes, routine laboratory pipetting, and medical devices. When water touches these surfaces, the interface where they meet tends to acquire a small electrical charge—an effect that is ubiquitous, yet poorly understood. KAUST researchers have now studied this in detail and their findings could have broad implications. The findings are published in the journal Langmuir. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-repelling-surfaces-reveal-effects.html Soft Matter Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news694699416