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. Imagine doctors could understand exactly which cells caused a patient's cancer or whether pathogens contributed to the disease. They could then use the information to tailor a treatment plan to the patient's specific cancer. But answering such questions would mean wading through data from thousands of experiments locked in massive databases around the globe. Moreover, the search would take at least several days. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-google-cell-rna-previously-impossible.html Biotechnology Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:00:03 EDT news707135222 Rock weathering, the breakdown and dissolving of rocks and minerals caused by their exposure to water, air and biological life, is a major regulator of Earth's atmospheric CO2 levels and climate. Throughout Earth's history, rock weathering has been faster during warm periods with increased atmospheric CO2 levels. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-weathering-carbon.html Earth Sciences Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:20:01 EDT news707129918 As fertilizer prices remain elevated, researchers at South Dakota State University are developing an innovative solution to corn's nitrogen supply problems by taking inspiration from an ancient Mexican variety and root nodules found on soybeans. In a new study, published in Plant and Soil, the researchers demonstrate how hydrogel beads may offer a promising way to naturally supply plants with nitrogen. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nature-scientists-tiny-nitrogen-factories.html Biotechnology Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:20:05 EDT news707124781 As multidrug antibiotic resistance emerges as a potent public health challenge, medical science has renewed attention on the potential for bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that target, infect and replicate inside bacteria, destroying them in the process. To help maximize the success rate of this approach, researchers recently modeled the dynamics of bacteriophage therapy to explain particular therapies and optimize the composition of bacteriophage cocktails. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-hard-early-diverse-phage.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:40:03 EDT news707065621 Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest challenges facing modern medicine. A new class of programmable antibiotics known as asobiotics can be used to treat bacterial infections when classical antibiotics fail. A team of researchers from TWINCORE, Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; the RESIST Cluster of Excellence; and the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg has now studied how bacteria adapt to asobiotics. They recently published their findings in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-resistance-programmable-antibiotics.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:40:05 EDT news707059561 Many plant species parasitize other plants by latching on and taking the nutrients their hosts need to survive. But sometimes, plants steal more than nutrients; they take genes. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-parasitic-genetic-remodeling-genes.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:00:06 EDT news707049722 One of the world's favorite sweet treats, chocolate, may have been enjoyed in eastern North America much earlier than previously thought, about 1,000 years ago. New research published in the journal PLOS One suggests that people in the Mississippian city of Etowah were consuming cacao, the plant used to make chocolate, in the 11th and 12th centuries. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-dna-reveals-cacao-consumed.html Archaeology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:00:08 EDT news707041258 What does a clean room smell like? Many people say citrus, pine, or flowers because these fragrances are common in cleaning products. A research team led by Brandon Boor found that scent compounds in cleaning products—conventional and botanical essential oil-based—quickly react in the air, forming nanoparticles that can travel deep into the lungs if inhaled. To reduce exposure to this invisible pollution, the team suggests using unscented products, running exhaust fans, and avoiding ozone-generating devices while cleaning. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scented-cleaners-nanoparticles-deep-lungs.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:03 EDT news706883273 Scientists have been hard at work for more than 20 years to instruct biological systems, such as E. coli cells, to produce proteins they don't naturally produce. Success could mean faster, cheaper, more innovative solutions for medicine, agriculture, materials science, environmental remediation and other industries. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-reworked-trnas-enable-protein-amino.html Biotechnology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:20:03 EDT news706973702 When it comes to invading healthy cells, Legionella bacteria rely on blending in rather than breaking in. New research from Van Andel Institute scientists demonstrates how a protein produced by Legionella mimics the behavior of the host cell's own proteins. This mechanism allows the protein, RomA, to change how the host's genes are regulated and create conditions that help the bacteria survive and multiply. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-legionella-bacteria-cell-playing.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:10:01 EDT news706974241 Soil is the foundation of our food supply. It stores water, carbon and nutrients and is home to a large share of the world's biodiversity. More than half of global biodiversity is estimated to live below ground. Yet biodiversity, and with it soil health, is declining worldwide, with consequences for agriculture, food security and the functioning of entire ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-underwear-key-soil-health.html Agriculture Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:40:04 EDT news706955734 Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have developed a set of molecular tools to regulate the activity of specific genes in one of the most common classes of intestinal bacteria. The ability to genetically manipulate these microbes could lead to a better understanding of the role they play in human physiology and disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genetic-toolkit-abundant-intestinal-microbes.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:40:06 EDT news706879185 Researchers are gauging the effectiveness of electron beams in the fight against foodborne pathogens in poultry. "Impact of Electron Beam (eBeam) Treatment on Meat Quality and Sensory Attributes of Ground Chicken and Turkey" is published in the journal Poultry Science. At the heart of the study is eBeam, a nonthermal technology that uses high-energy electron beams to cause irreparable damage to pathogen DNA. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-electron-poultry-pathogens-turkey-quality.html Biotechnology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:00:01 EDT news706878602 University of Oregon biologists have resurrected prehistoric proteins up to 160 million years old that carry natural antimicrobial properties. The revived molecules could inspire the design of new treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections, a pressing global health issue. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scientists-resurrect-ancient-proteins-antibiotic.html Biotechnology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:07 EDT news706801801 The bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii poses a substantial threat in health care settings, readily forming biofilms on wounds and medical surfaces and contributing to persistent infections and delayed healing. Its growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and status as a WHO critical-priority pathogen underscore the urgent need for new wound management strategies. However, many current treatments are ineffective against its biofilms. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cow-gut-enzyme-bacterial-biofilms.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news706867141 A study published in the journal Ecological Monographs indicates that large mammals, such as tapirs, peccaries, agoutis and deer, alter the chemical composition of litter and soil in tropical forests of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. As a result, they increase nutrient availability and, possibly, soil fertility. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-large-mammals-soil-chemistry-fertility.html Plants & Animals Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:20:03 EDT news706859836 In the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, researchers from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and the University of São Paulo (USP) describe the role of three bacteria in suppressing a soil-borne wheat pathogen that causes root rot. The study paves the way for the development of inoculants that can be used in agriculture. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-ancestral-wheat-microbiomes-root.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:20:04 EDT news706801322 Understanding how bacteria influence one another is essential for understanding how microbial communities are formed and maintained. Researchers at Umeå University have now systematically mapped interactions between common gut bacteria, creating one of the most comprehensive datasets of its kind. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gut-bacteria-cooperation.html Ecology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:40:07 EDT news706795922 Plants might seem helpless when it comes to insect attacks, but they are known to employ various techniques to deter pests. One of these techniques involves sending out signals to recruit parasitoid wasps, and a new study, published in Cell Reports, has found that at least one plant can extend this deterrent system to future generations growing in the same soil. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cowpea-underground-defense-generation-insect.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:30:01 EDT news706793779 Bacteria, too, depend on good neighborly relations: A new study by the Osnabrück University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge in England, shows that soil bacteria live in beneficial communities and frequently exchange nutrients with one another. The study, led by Prof. Dr. Christian Kost, has now been published in the journal Nature Microbiology. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soil-bacteria-amino-acids-survive.html Ecology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:20:09 EDT news706789741 What helps plants cope better with drought? With heat waves and periods of extreme drought becoming increasingly common worldwide, the need for drought-tolerant plants is increasingly urgent. With the help of bacteria, plants can unlock traits that help them cope with drought, securing biodiversity and food safety. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tiny-root-hairs-big-impact.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:07 EDT news706789562 Antarctica is one of the driest, coldest places on Earth. Very little life survives its extremes. In the soils scattered around the frozen ice sheets, however, communities of microbes do survive. And one of the keys to their success is a surprisingly communal strategy. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-antarctic-bacteria-lifesupport-genes-survive.html Ecology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:40:03 EDT news706789202 Jennifer Bhatnagar spent the summer of 2023 traversing barren hillsides blackened by wildfire in northern California. She walked through devastated properties, examined the hot soil beneath her feet, collected samples and asked questions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-forests-survive-world.html Earth Sciences Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:20:02 EDT news706509362 A citrus greening disease treatment rooted in more than a decade of research at Texas A&M AgriLife Research has reached a milestone on the path to commercial availability. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted unconditional registration to the novel therapy. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-spinach-peptide-discovery-citrus-greening.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:00:01 EDT news706507981 Low concentrations of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) are more efficient than high doses for preparing organic waste for biogas production. This finding increases methane production, reduces reagent consumption and, consequently, diminishes process costs and minimizes the risk of inhibiting the microorganisms responsible for the process. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-small-doses-caustic-soda-biogas.html Biotechnology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:00:01 EDT news706461061 Certain plants, including legumes, form specialized organs called root nodules, where they establish symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This root nodule symbiosis enables plants to use atmospheric nitrogen for growth, reducing their dependence on nitrogen fertilizers. Applying this characteristic is highly promising for developing sustainable agricultural systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-role-nitrate-reductase-nitrogen-responsive.html Ecology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:20:01 EDT news706455780 The use of antibiotics has traditionally been considered the gold standard in bacterial infection control—the more bacterial cells you kill, and the faster you kill them, the better. University of Tennessee, Knoxville Professor Dacheng Ren champions a different approach: engineer an antibiotic-free surface that prevents bacteria from establishing an infection at all. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-biofilm-topography-bacterial-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news706447144 Scientists analyzed the genomes of gut microorganisms from an extensive population of 875 wild house mice (Mus musculus) collected from farms in Germany. They searched for genes responsible for resistance to common antibiotics and correlated the presence of these ARGs in the mice with a range of environmental and host variables, such as land use and farming practices, livestock density for cattle, pigs and poultry, sex and physical condition of the mice, as well as climatic variables. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-farm-mice-antibiotic-resistance-environmental.html Ecology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:00:10 EDT news706441021 Why is there sex—or, more precisely, sexual reproduction? If you're an evolutionary biologist, the answer isn't obvious. Sexual reproduction is biologically costly, requiring not only competition for mates but also the creation of entire populations in which only half the individuals can give birth. That reality has led scientists to wonder why it arose in the first place. After all, in asexual reproduction—as occurs when bacteria divide—not only can you skip the wooing and its costs, but every individual is a potential mother. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sex-evolutionary-baggage.html Evolution Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:40:05 EDT news706437972 The research team led by materials scientist Ralf Busch from Saarland University is preparing for its first science-in-space mission. If everything goes to plan, from 31 August the researchers will spend one week remotely studying metallic-glass alloys in experiments carried out on board the International Space Station, ISS. Working with the European Space Agency, ESA, and the German Aerospace Center, DLR, the team will investigate the properties of these alloys using hot, levitating droplets. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-levitating-molten-metal-iss-refine.html Materials Science Wed, 19 Aug 2026 23:20:01 EDT news706331686