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. A new technique to diagnose chronic inflammation developed at Nagoya University can read information from the surface and within individual extracellular vesicles in blood and urine. This technique could be used to develop noninvasive tests that can not only detect chronic inflammation but also provide information about the tissues where it occurs. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-vesicles-reveals-clues-chronic-inflammation.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 03 Nov 2026 15:20:02 EST news712930144 A gas naturally produced by our own bodies could one day help treat skin and wound infections, potentially offering a new approach alongside conventional antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-gas-wound-infections-moth.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 02 Nov 2026 19:00:08 EST news712840933 When you think about making computer chips better, you probably think about transistors. My colleagues and I focused on a less visible part of the problem: the components that deliver power to those transistors. A chip needs more than electricity. It needs electricity supplied at the right voltage, with fluctuations kept under control. Making the hardware that does this smaller is an important challenge—and one that led my colleagues and me to build tiny magnetic devices called stripline microinductors. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-magnetic-nanocomposites-components-power-chips.html Nanophysics Mon, 02 Nov 2026 17:20:02 EST news712840879 Creating better-performing materials comes down to having more control over their structure at the smallest possible scale. One particularly effective way to accomplish that is using nanoparticles, which have highly customizable shapes and sizes and have already shown promise in applications across energy, medicine and electronics. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-flexible-connectors-enable-materials-built.html Nanomaterials Mon, 02 Nov 2026 10:40:11 EST news712833724 Nitrogen dioxide is a harmful gas that requires sensitive detection. Researchers used intense light pulses lasting 10 milliseconds to make molybdenum disulfide flakes and anchor isolated metal atoms in one step. Adding platinum improved the material's room-temperature response to nitrogen dioxide, reaching 100.8% at 400 parts per billion and a detection limit of 17.2 parts per billion. This approach could support advanced gas sensors and applications in catalysis and energy technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-millisecond-sensitive-gas-sensors.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:20:15 EDT news712572361 A nanoscale particle with a unique structure, developed at MIT, holds potential as a customizable delivery vehicle for personalized cancer vaccines. The backbone of the vaccine is a modified, harmless bacteriophage called M13, which forms a nanofiber that can be coated with cancer antigens. By precisely controlling the density of those cancer proteins, the researchers found that they could create a vaccine that prevents the development of colon tumors in mice. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-customizable-nanoparticles-potential-personalized-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:00:43 EDT news712571521 Our cells are a hotbed of activity, with reactions churning away to keep us alive. But the cytoplasm, where many metabolic reactions take place, is not uniform. Instead, proteins and other molecules cluster together into membraneless compartments, creating distinct, crowded microenvironments for reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-crowding-enzyme-reactions-protein-droplets.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 30 Oct 2026 06:00:02 EDT news712508233 A new study has revealed molecular rules governing how nanoparticles interact with biological systems, showing how their physicochemical properties shape protein corona (PC) formation and influence biological outcomes. The findings provide a framework for designing nanomedicines with more predictable biological identities. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoparticle-properties-protein-coats-cell.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:30:01 EDT news712503602 Scientists can now edit genes in precise locations deep in the brain and body without the use of invasive surgery or implants, thanks to new work from researchers at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. The team demonstrated its technique, which uses a combination of ultrasound, light-emitting nanoparticles and photo-controllable gene-editing proteins, by successfully altering genes in mouse brains at selected locations. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-emitting-nanoparticles-ultrasound-gene-mouse.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:00:06 EDT news712497421 Many chemical processes that sustain modern society depend on molecules binding to metal surfaces. The production of synthetic fertilizer, for example, relies on heterogeneous catalysis, in which gases react on the surface of a solid catalyst. Yet, until now, an important question has remained unresolved: How much of the metal surface actually participates in determining the strength of a chemical bond on the surface? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-molecule-atoms-platinum-bonds-surface.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 29 Oct 2026 14:00:01 EDT news712485842 The Lycurgus Cup, a world-renowned 4th-century A.D. artifact housed in the British Museum, is constructed of "dichroic" glass that shifts from jade green in reflected light to ruby red in transmitted light. This means that depending on where the light source is positioned, observers can see the cup displayed in two distinctive, contrasting colors. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-technician-year-mystery-replicate-effect.html Materials Science Tue, 27 Oct 2026 10:50:01 EDT news712315254 When identical charges repel each other but are confined to the surface of a sphere, they seek the arrangement with the lowest possible energy. The idea is simple, but the problem gets harder to solve with every charge added. The so-called Thomson problem dates back to the "plum-pudding" model of the atom, which Nobel laureate Joseph J. Thomson proposed in 1904. The atomic model has long been superseded, but the mathematical problem has endured. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-mathematical-puzzle-physical-gold-studded.html Nanophysics Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:27:51 EDT news712312022 A new study led by an international research team including scientists at the University of South Carolina challenges the idea that the ancient Laacher See volcanic eruption in western Europe triggered a significant climate-cooling period affecting central Europe and the Arctic nearly 13,000 years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-sediment-core-reveals-volcanic-eruption.html Earth Sciences Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:20:05 EDT news712226705 As the climate gets warmer, the number of particles that make up clouds in the Arctic may increase or decrease, depending on the specific area. A new study indicates that the Arctic should be divided into three parts rather than considered as a whole. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-years-size-view-arctic-cloud.html Earth Sciences Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:20:18 EDT news711900301 Tiny atoms and molecules are constantly bombarding each other all around us. While we regularly measure the large-scale effects of these interactions, measuring the effect of each individual collision is far more difficult. But now, researchers have managed to measure how tiny gas particles affect a single silica particle in the lab. In their new study, published in Physical Review Letters, the team describes how they detected the momentum transfers of individual collisions of gas particles with a nanoparticle levitated in laser light. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-individual-atomic-collisions-lab-potentially.html General Physics Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:10:01 EDT news711719258 They can turn up in a nonstick frying pan, a waterproof jacket, a takeout food wrapper or the foam used to fight fires. Known as "forever chemicals," these substances are ubiquitous in modern society, prized for their extreme durability and versatility. However, their charm comes with a curse: They are so durable they resist degradation, posing threats to human health and the environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-hunter-killer-chemistry-captures-destroys.html Polymers Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:00:06 EDT news711620341 Penicillin has cured syphilis cases since 1943, but symptoms of the sexually transmitted infection, known as "the great imitator," mimic many other diseases and can come and go without treatment while the infection keeps causing harm. If it remains undetected, it can spread to partners and to babies during pregnancy, causing lifelong effects. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-rapid-syphilis-layered-nanoparticles-infection.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:05 EDT news711364981 Plastics are supposed to be chemically inert. It's the reason they're used so frequently to package food, bottle water and create children's toys: They're safe. But something important happens when a large piece of plastic fragments into micro- and nanoparticles. Its surface area increases dramatically relative to its volume. Vastly more of the material is now exposed to its surroundings. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-microplastics-chemically-biological.html Biochemistry Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:01:03 EDT news711041282 MIT engineers have developed a new way to program natural killer (NK) immune cells to target cancerous T cells or T cells that have become autoreactive, leading to diseases such as lymphoma and autoimmune hepatitis. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoparticle-reprograms-nk-immune-cells.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:20:16 EDT news711107494 Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurological disorders associated with later life, and its prevalence rises sharply with age. It affects the brain systems that control movement, often causing tremor, stiffness, slowness and problems with balance, all of which can reduce independence and quality of life in older adults. The condition is mainly linked to the gradual loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanostructure-ultrasound-potential-parkinson-treatment.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:00:08 EDT news711038281 A spinach leaf can turn light into chemical energy. A struggling heart cannot. Researchers in China have brought part of the leaf's energy-making machinery into rat heart cells to test whether borrowed photosynthesis could help an overworked heart. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-spinach-nanoparticles-rat-hearts-photosynthesis.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 11 Oct 2026 07:40:01 EDT news710599646 Finding a single cancer cell in a tube of blood is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. As researchers seek to detect ever-smaller and rarer targets, from viruses to circulating tumor cells in blood, the demand for ultrasensitive, robust sensors that are practical for real-world samples continues to grow. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-method-free-particle-sensor-surfaces.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:40:06 EDT news710766515 A team of engineers has designed a new line of multicolored tattoo inks that switch on and off with different kinds of light. Described in a study published in Matter & Light, the technology could one day help people hide their tattoos when they have an important business meeting. They could even doodle on their own skin using a simple laser pointer. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-responsive-inks-tattoos-visible-demand.html Materials Science Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:00:02 EDT news710667901 A research team led by Professor Jiwoong Yang of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST has developed the world's first foundational technology for an ultrahigh-resolution stretchable quantum dot display (QLED) that can stretch freely like skin while maintaining sharp image quality. The findings were published in Nature Nanotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-display-technology-combines-brightness-pixels.html Nanophysics Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:02 EDT news710605801 A research team has developed a photocatalytic technology that improves the stability of MXene, an emerging material vulnerable to water, to efficiently convert carbon dioxide into methane. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-polymer-coating-tackles-mxene-stability.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:50:01 EDT news710605621 Contrast agents are compounds routinely used in clinical analysis to enhance differentiation between tissues or to increase the visibility of structures or fluids within the body, thus facilitating medical diagnosis. A study led by researcher Lucia Cardo and Ikerbasque research professor and AXA chair Maurizio Prato (both at CIC biomaGUNE) confirms that manganese-doped carbon nanodots could be the next generation of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-manganese-doped-carbon-nanodots-rival.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:40:11 EDT news710411041 When light travels through a strongly scattering material, such as biological tissue or other disordered opaque media, it follows many different paths and produces a seemingly random speckle pattern. Wavefront shaping makes it possible to control this complex interference and focus light through such materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-giant-fluctuations-focused-reveal-hidden.html Condensed Matter Sun, 04 Oct 2026 08:00:01 EDT news710002088 From vaccines to gene therapies, mRNA medicines often rely on tiny fat-based particles called lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, to carry treatments where they need to go. But researchers still face a fundamental challenge: getting those therapies to the organs where they are needed most while limiting side effects elsewhere in the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-gut-mrna-tech-supercharges-vaccine.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:00:02 EDT news710062742 Instead of capturing a memory with an iPhone camera, Carnegie Mellon University's Nivedita Shyamsundar used hers to make a scientific discovery. A senior in the Department of Chemistry, Shyamsundar studies tiny particles that could help medicines and vaccines travel more effectively through the human body and reach their targets. Her work may one day lead to better cancer treatments and stronger vaccines. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticle-mystery-iphone-camera.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:20:14 EDT news709887062 Nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the front lines. In a new study, Northwestern University scientists developed a nanoparticle-based compound that, when mixed into clothing dyes, could limit the impact of chemicals commonly found in pesticides, insecticides and nerve agents. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wearable-nanotech-combat-nerve-agents.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:40:02 EDT news709889641