https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from University of South Florida If you live near an interstate or busy roadway in Tampa, you can literally wipe the grime from auto exhaust off your windows. Imagine breathing all that stuff into your lungs. Such pollution is a serious issue as traffic continues to grow and researchers at USF's College of Public Health (COPH) want to improve ways to monitor airborne contaminants and build more robust data on their levels and impact. The information on traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) also may pave the way in planning for cleaner air in Tampa's expanding neighborhoods. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-air-traffic-pollution-tampa.html Environment Tue, 26 May 2026 18:20:03 EDT news699021181 Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to help scientists accelerate drug discovery and search for new treatments. But for AI tools to work effectively, researchers need to know whether they can be validated and applied in real-world situations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-ai-immune-responses-benchmark.html Wed, 06 May 2026 13:20:03 EDT news697287242 As potentially deadly avian influenza (H5N1) continues its global spread, moving from birds into mammals and in rare cases into humans, scientists are confronting a difficult reality. If a human pandemic emerges, vaccines designed specifically to protect people against H5N1 may not be ready in time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-seasonal-flu-vaccines-severity-h5n1.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:40:07 EDT news696608341 For decades, technology in schools meant desktop computers and basic digital instruction. Today, more immersive tools are beginning to reach children, changing how they interact with information and their surroundings. As these tools become more advanced, researchers at USF are examining whether they align with how children think and learn. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-rethinking-augmented-reality-children-key.html Education Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:20:07 EDT news696096662 Older adults and technology haven't always had the smoothest relationship. From learning to use email to operating smartphones, each new wave has brought fresh challenges and frustrations. Now, mastering QR codes is the latest hurdle. Recent research from the University of South Florida shows that when these interactions are difficult, customer satisfaction and loyalty can suffer. Since COVID-19, there's been a dramatic rise in the use of QR codes, particularly in hospitality settings such as restaurants. This shift has been especially challenging for older adults. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-qr-codes-older-customers.html Economics & Business Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:00:06 EDT news696090842 When a service encounter goes south, customers expect empathy. Hearing an employee say, "I share your frustration," can calm tensions and rebuild trust. But new research from the University of South Florida suggests that when a chatbot tries the same tactic, it can backfire. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-reveals-chatbot-empathy-worsen-customer.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:20:01 EDT news695968622 Every time you drive, board a plane or water your lawn, you're relying on a material that has quietly powered modern life for nearly a century—reinforced rubber. It's in car and aircraft tires, industrial seals, medical devices and countless everyday products. Yet despite its ubiquity and its central role in the $260 billion global tire industry, scientists have never fully understood why it works so well. Until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-year-mystery-rubber-powers.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:30:01 EDT news695486101 As the demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to rise, new research from the University of South Florida identified a growing interest among higher education institutions to incorporate work-based learning in cybersecurity programs to help close the gap between academic preparation and the skills employers are seeking. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-based-key-cybersecurity-skills-gap.html Education Sat, 28 Mar 2026 08:30:01 EDT news693658098 In just one click, almost anything can be delivered to one's front door. Today's digital landscape offers countless conveniences through instant items and services, including prescription drugs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-qa-exploring-telehealth.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:20:08 EDT news692971742 It infects nearly one-third of the global population, yet its microscopic size makes the parasite difficult for scientists to study. That parasite is Toxoplasma gondii, a widespread organism that infects humans and animals. To better understand how it functions, infectious disease researchers at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine adapted a fluorescent imaging system typically used to study human cells to observe the parasite's growth in real time—paving the way for future treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-fluorescent-imaging-reveals-global-parasite.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:22:12 EST news691993271 Hologram AI concert experiences may look futuristic, with their computer-generated 3D illusions of dead artists performing on stage. But research from the University of South Florida shows their success depends on something very human: ethics, trust and emotional connection. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-fans-ethics-ai-hologram-concerts.html Social Sciences Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:30:04 EST news691762921 Anglers along the Gulf Coast have long prized the hard-fighting, mild-tasting gag grouper (Mycteroperca microlepis), but some may have been surprised over the past few years by shortened seasons for this desirable reef fish. Due to concerns about the population of the species, the gag season lasted just 41 days in 2023, 15 days in 2024, and 14 days in 2025—far shorter than the six-month seasons in previous years. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-gag-grouper-overfished-gulf-tool.html Plants & Animals Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:40:06 EST news691669101 A newly published study co-authored by University of South Florida alum Louis Coticchio and USF integrative biologist Deby Cassill challenges long-standing assumptions about the brown recluse spider, finding the species is both far less common in Florida and far less aggressive than public perception suggests. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-brown-recluse-spiders-rare-florida.html Plants & Animals Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:40:03 EST news691333141 Generative artificial intelligence systems often work in agreement, complimenting the user in its response. But human interactions aren't typically built on flattery. To help strengthen these conversations, researchers in the USF Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing are challenging the technology to think and debate in ways that resemble human reasoning. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-flattery-debate-ai-mirror-human.html Computer Sciences Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:20:05 EST news690207758 Smart AI voice concierges are increasingly being deployed for routine tasks once held by hotel front desk staff. From requesting extra towels to asking for a late check-out, many of these common guest inquiries are now being handled by in-room voice AI devices, a kiosk or through the hotel's mobile app or website. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-hotel-guests-embrace-ai-convenience.html Economics & Business Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:31:43 EST news689866262 Firms flush with resources tend to develop talent internally while younger firms, facing unpredictable workloads, will hire from the outside to fill their talent gap, according to a new USF study. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-law-firms-employers-buy-talent.html Economics & Business Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:30:01 EST news689583882 Before scientists even knew how many Florida scrub millipedes were left in the wild, a quiet breakthrough happened in a University of South Florida lab. The rare, giant millipedes reproduced in captivity. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-rare-florida-millipedes-captivity.html Plants & Animals Wed, 21 Jan 2026 05:10:06 EST news688193947 "A plague is upon us'' may have been a common phrase in ancient Jordan, where countless people perished from a mysterious malady that would shape both a society and an era of civilization. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ancient-jordan-mass-grave-reveals.html Archaeology Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:38:19 EST news688145881 For the first time and with help from artificial intelligence, researchers have conducted a comprehensive study of global floating algae and found that blooms are expanding across the ocean. These trends are likely the result of changes to ocean temperature, currents and nutrients, according to the authors, and could have a significant impact on marine life, tourism, and coastal economies. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-reveal-global-surge-algae.html Environment Mon, 19 Jan 2026 05:00:03 EST news687778802 Flu levels are elevated and continuing to rise during the 2026 season, with Influenza A emerging as the dominant strain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-qa-flu-bad-year.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:43:55 EST news687714181 Researchers at USF Health are making dramatic strides in understanding how new opioid compounds work inside the body to provide pain relief, offering greater hope that new classes of these drugs may eventually be used to relieve pain without potentially deadly side effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-safer-alternatives-current-opioid-drugs.html Medications Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:10:03 EST news685278298 A new study led by University of South Florida biologist Lucas Griffin has found that tour boats and swimmers routinely violate Mexico's whale shark tourism rules—even when the waters are far less crowded than the law allows. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-rampant-whale-shark-tourism-hub.html Ecology Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:10:01 EST news684592720 A study led by researchers at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science has found that certain populations of the seaweed sargassum have experienced a significant decline over the past decade, even as increased abundance of sargassum in the tropical Atlantic has caused large mats of the seaweed to inundate beaches across the Caribbean and Gulf regions. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-sargasso-sea-shift-reveals-decline.html Earth Sciences Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:00:06 EST news683974501 Smoking cannabis can increase the risk of heart problems—but doing so and eating highly processed foods increases cardiac health risks even more, a new University of South Florida study says. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-cannabis-highly-foods-cardiac-health.html Cardiology Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:47:05 EST news682775222 For more than three decades, USF Distinguished University Professor Dmitry Goldgof in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing has been at the forefront of artificial intelligence research. His son, Dr. Gregory Goldgof, is a physician scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where he serves as the director of Artificial Intelligence for Hematopathology. Trained in both computer science and medicine, Goldgof leads a translational AI laboratory developing deep learning tools to analyze diseases of the blood and bone marrow. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-fatherson-team-ai-cancer.html Oncology & Cancer Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:30:03 EST news682007401 Companies often send out simulated—or fake—phishing emails to employees to see who takes the bait and click. Those who fall for such scams typically receive an on-the-spot lesson meant to help them recognize suspicious messages the next time. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-smarter-employees-thwart-phishing-scams.html Business Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:00:03 EST news681119401 Researchers from the University of South Florida have used artificial intelligence and citizen science to identify what may be the first specimen of Anopheles stephensi—an invasive and deadly malaria-carrying mosquito—ever detected in Madagascar. The study, led by USF scientists Ryan Carney and Sriram Chellappan, demonstrates how AI-powered image recognition and public participation can transform global disease surveillance. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-ai-citizen-science-reveal-potential.html Ecology Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:00:06 EDT news680772961 A team of scientists has uncovered a rare isotope in microscopic fossils, offering fresh evidence that ocean ecosystems may be more resilient than once feared. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-ancient-plankton-hint-steadier-future.html Earth Sciences Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:00:10 EDT news678616381 When it comes to motivating employees, new research from the University of South Florida finds frontline workers, such as cashiers and retail clerks, value perks like food and outings far more than health benefits or gym memberships. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-free-food-gym-memberships-frontline.html Social Sciences Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:59:03 EDT news677933941 Scholars were wrong about prehistoric Sicily. Davide Tanasi, a professor at the University of South Florida, has new evidence that not only were horses present on the Mediterranean island earlier than previously thought, but that they also played an important role in the diets of early Bronze Age communities. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-ancient-pottery-discovery-earliest-proof.html Archaeology Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:16:04 EDT news677859361