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. Researchers use tightly focused laser beams to image biological samples, shape materials with microscopic precision and generate displays. But using those beams in three dimensions requires more than sweeping light from side to side, as the light must also rapidly refocus at different depths. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tiny-mirror-3d-microscopes-smaller.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:20:02 EDT news707393521 More accurate navigation systems and improved wireless communications may not come from traditional electronics, but rather from atoms. Researchers at Penn State and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new way to build tinier, smarter glass sensors filled with highly precise and stable atoms. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-glass-cells-atoms-path-smarter.html Nanophysics Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:40:04 EDT news701699108 A public-private partnership in the Mountain West announced new results today that mark steady progress toward the Department of Energy's goal of fault-tolerant quantum computing, systems large and reliable enough to solve complex problems. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-helios-quantum-tops-fidelity-qubit.html Quantum Physics Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:40:03 EDT news700920721 MIT researchers have demonstrated a low-cost design for specialized electronic nozzles, called triaxial electrospray emitters, that could be used to manufacture time-release drug-delivery particles or self-healing materials efficiently and at scale. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-3d-nozzle-array-production-drug.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:20:05 EDT news700222923 Heart to the left. Liver to the right. That's where you'll find these organs in a healthy human body, but surprisingly, in some people, the heart is on the right and the liver on the left. This normal or abnormal asymmetry can be traced back to your embryonic stage. In the early days of your development, a small fluid-filled cavity known as an embryonic node forms in your embryo. Inside, tiny micro-hairs known as cilia create a flow pattern that steers where organs grow in your body. However, the science behind this flow process has remained a mystery until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-tiny-rotating-hairs-microscopic-cavity.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:00:04 EDT news693750242 Scientists at TU Delft have designed a nanostring that, when poked, doesn't lose its energy to the environment immediately. Instead, the energy leaks out within the string, triggering a cascade of distinct vibrational modes. For the first time, researchers have observed this cascade reaching all the way up to the fifth mode, while only actuating the first mode. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nanostring-scientists-uncover-energy-cascades.html Nanophysics Tue, 03 Mar 2026 19:20:01 EST news691774321 Chemists in South Korea have created a stable color-changing sensor that displays an easily quantifiable response to the pH of its surroundings. Published in Microsystems & Nanoengineering, Dong-Hwan Kim and colleagues at Sungkyunkwan University say their approach could pave the way for more reliable, affordable pH measurements across a broad range of real-world scenarios. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-nanopigment-sensor-tracks-ph-ten.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:40:01 EST news691147847 A new technology has been developed that enables cuffless noninvasive blood pressure monitoring by using ultrasonic to track real-time changes in vascular diameter—without the need for a traditional cuff. The technology is expected to serve as a core component in future wearable health care devices and smart medical monitoring platforms. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ultrasonic-sensor-capable-enables-cuffless.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:23:41 EST news687093781 From cells that migrate to tissues that heal, nature abounds with systems capable of sensing and adapting to their surroundings. Replicating this level of adaptability in synthetic systems has remained a grand challenge in chemistry and materials science. Most artificial materials, though inspired by biology, still react to only one stimulus and lack the integrated responsiveness that characterizes living matter. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-supramolecular-robotics-enables-soft-materials.html Biochemistry Wed, 29 Oct 2025 14:10:01 EDT news680963985 Quantum defects are tiny imperfections in solid crystal lattices that can trap individual electrons and their "spin" (i.e., the internal angular momentum of particles). These defects are central to the functioning of various quantum technologies, including quantum sensors, computers and communication systems. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-strain-readout-quantum-technologies.html Quantum Physics Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:30:01 EDT news679233299 Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have made light-powered gears on a micrometer scale. This paves the way for the smallest on-chip motors in history, which can fit inside a strand of hair. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-powered-gears-strand-hair.html Nanophysics Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:47:03 EDT news677407621 For the past five years, researchers at Leipzig University have been working on fundamentally new methods for selectively assembling gaseous, charged molecular fragments into new, complex molecules. The synthesized substances are deposited onto surfaces. This innovative process opens up new perspectives for applications in modern nanoelectronics and sensor technology. It also offers new avenues of research across various scientific disciplines—from catalyst research to medical applications. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-method-molecular-fragments-advanced-thin.html Nanomaterials Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:35:03 EDT news669897301 In the "Mission: Impossible" films, superspy Ethan Hunt—played by Tom Cruise—gets orders from his superiors on various devices that self-destruct in five seconds. Could electronics disintegrate into nothing in real life? Binghamton University Professor Seokheun "Sean" Choi has researched disposable "papertronics" over the past 20 years, but the hardest part about making so-called transient electronics is the battery. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-probiotic-powered-dissolvable-battery-acidic.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 06 Jun 2025 11:46:03 EDT news668429161 Blood vessels are like big-city highways; full of curves, branches, merges, and congestion. Yet for years, lab models replicated vessels like straight, simple roads. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-customizable-chips-mimic-real-life.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 27 May 2025 16:20:03 EDT news667581601 Imagine walking into your kitchen and instantly knowing if the fish you bought yesterday is still fresh—or entering an industrial site with sensors that immediately alert you to hazardous gas leaks. This isn't science fiction—it's the promise behind our newly developed nanomechanical sensor array, a powerful tool we've created to detect and analyze complex gases in real-time. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-nanomechanical-gas-sensor-arrays-smarter.html Nanomaterials Mon, 31 Mar 2025 10:00:05 EDT news662633617 A team of researchers at the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University has developed an innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled, low-cost device that will make flow cytometry—a technique used to analyze cells or particles in a fluid using a laser beam—affordable and accessible. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-harnessing-gravity-microfluidic-device-rapid.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 28 Feb 2025 13:12:04 EST news659970721 Researchers have developed a freely available droplet microfluidic component library, which promises to transform the way microfluidic devices are created. This innovation, based on low-cost rapid prototyping and electrode integration, makes it possible to fabricate microfluidic devices for under $12 each, with a full design-build-test cycle completed within a single day. The components are biocompatible, high-throughput, and capable of performing multistep workflows, such as droplet generation, sensing, sorting, and anchoring, all critical for automating microfluidic design and testing. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-microfluidic-component-library-enables-rapid.html Nanophysics Tue, 18 Feb 2025 16:49:03 EST news659119741 For the first time, researchers have been able to measure the quantum state of electrons ejected from atoms that have absorbed high-energy light pulses. This is thanks to a new measurement technique developed by researchers at Lund University in Sweden. The results can provide a better understanding of the interaction between light and matter. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-qa-quantum-state-photoelectrons.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:23:10 EST news658599779 A team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyzer that approaches the performance of established proton-exchange membrane(PEM) electrolyzers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-inexpensive-nickel-compounds-rare-iridium.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 28 Oct 2024 12:02:03 EDT news649335721 The increasing global demand for plant-based foods makes the use of pesticides necessary in order to protect crops from pests and ensure crop yields. However, there is one major disadvantage: the widespread use of pesticides has led to a considerable reduction in insect populations in the past. The decline in wild bees, which make a significant contribution to pollination and are therefore essential for agricultural yields, is particularly worrying. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-sensors-bee-friendly.html Biotechnology Tue, 15 Oct 2024 16:22:04 EDT news648228122 Researchers have demonstrated a way to speed up—and potentially scale up—the process for separating particles in fluids, which can be used for studying microplastics in drinking water or even analyzing cancer cells from blood. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-method-microplastics-blood-analyses.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:14:03 EDT news642935641 In an increasingly health-conscious society, data is a hot commodity. Tracking step counts with an old-school pedometer has turned into monitoring heart rates, sleep cycles and blood oxygen levels with wearable fitness trackers, a market that has exploded in recent years. But one critical aspect of health monitoring has yet to become mainstream, because continuous air quality data is currently tied to spaces and not people. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-tech-individuals-exposure-gases.html Nanophysics Fri, 07 Jun 2024 09:29:03 EDT news636971341 Researchers have unveiled a pioneering breeze wake-up anemometer (B-WA), employing a rolling-bearing triboelectric nanogenerator (RB-TENG) that provides a new strategy for low-energy consumption environmental monitoring. The ability of the B-WA to operate autonomously and efficiently in varying wind conditions marks a substantial advancement in the field of sustainable environmental monitoring. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-sensor-minimal-power-advanced-weather.html Nanomaterials Wed, 29 May 2024 16:24:26 EDT news636218664 Researchers have delved into the composition of nanocomposites for ultraviolet metasurface fabrication and determined the ideal printing material for crafting them. Their findings are featured in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering on April 22. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-optimal-conditions-mass-production-ultraviolet.html Nanophysics Thu, 09 May 2024 11:06:03 EDT news634471562 Using an ultrasensitive photonic crystal, TU/e researchers were able to detect single particles down to 50 nanometers in diameter. The new research has just been published in the journal Optica. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-ultrasensitive-photonic-crystal-particles-nanometers.html Nanophysics Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:49:04 EDT news633192541 Acoustofluidics elegantly merges acoustics with fluid mechanics, enabling precise manipulation of fluids and particles on both micro and nanoscales. This interdisciplinary field plays a crucial role in biomedicine, tissue engineering, and nanoparticles synthesis. However, the effectiveness and potential of traditional acoustofluidic devices are often curtailed by their dependency on the specific geometries of fluidic chambers, thus limiting their adaptability and versatility. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-boundaries-tiny-labs-technology-implications.html Nanophysics Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:23:21 EDT news633093799 Traditional techniques for observing fish behavior, largely dependent on vision-based systems, face substantial limitations, such as a confined range of observation and a limited duration of operation underwater. In response to these challenges, a research team from the National University of Defense Technology has pioneered a wearable electronic device that adeptly captures disturbances in the water flow caused by the movements of fish. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-smart-vest-fish-underwater-spies.html Ecology Wed, 10 Apr 2024 14:49:28 EDT news631979364 Droplet microfluidics has revolutionized single-cell analysis, crucial for genomics, drug discovery, and diagnostics, by partitioning samples into nanoliter droplets for detailed cellular analysis. Yet, its broader adoption is hindered by the complex, costly methods required for analyzing droplets' optical properties. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-cell-analysis-tech-incorporates-advanced.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Apr 2024 10:22:59 EDT news631185777 The urgent need for advanced detection of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) to ensure global security has led to the development of a novel gas sensor. This sensor is distinguished by its rapid response, high sensitivity, and compact size, crucial for the early detection of CWAs. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-team-wireless-sensor-chemical-warfare.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:08:41 EST news628855719 In our data-driven era, solving complex problems efficiently is crucial. However, traditional computers often struggle with this task when dealing with a large number of interacting variables, leading to inefficiencies such as the von Neumann bottleneck. A new type of collective state computing has emerged to address this issue by mapping these optimization problems onto something called the Ising problem in magnetism. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-array-vcsels-optical-feedback.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:43:31 EST news627918205