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. Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a platform that pinpoints genetic triggers that turn microbes into efficient factories for new chemicals and materials. The method enables rapid, precise reprogramming of bacteria as biotechnology tools, supporting domestic production of valuable products and recovery of critical minerals and materials to enhance the nation's supply chains and global competitiveness. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-platform-bacterial-gene-biotech.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news705323281 Matt Walker couldn't pet a dog without sneezing—until he and other scientists used a gene editing technique to produce a hypoallergenic beagle named Bailey. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gene-beagles-future-option-people.html Biotechnology Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:35:13 EDT news705148484 When a virus enters a cell, its top priority is to replicate its genome rapidly, creating new viruses to infect elsewhere. The host has the opposite priority: to destroy the virus, ideally before it can do any harm. Biology has evolved diverse tactics for viral recognition and destruction, but they share a common theme—sensing that an invading viral genome is present in a cell. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-bacteria-virus-dna.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:20:02 EDT news704620612 Gene editing is a highly precise and powerful technology that allows scientists to insert, delete, modify or replace DNA bases in living organisms. It has a variety of uses, including correcting disease-causing mutations and improving crops. Tools like CRISPR act as molecular scissors that target specific places in a genome to make these changes. But the technology is not perfect and can accidentally edit the wrong pieces of DNA or RNA. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-tiny-gene-editor-unintended.html Biotechnology Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:38:56 EDT news704378300 The European Union adopted new legislation on plants obtained through certain new genomic techniques in June 2026. The new framework will apply after a two-year transition period. It distinguishes between two categories. Plants in Category 1 (NGT-1) have a limited number and type of genetic changes that could also occur naturally or through conventional breeding. Under the new legislation, they will largely be regulated like conventionally bred plants. Category 2 plants with more extensive or complex modifications will remain subject to the existing genetically modified organism (GMO) rules. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientist-impact-eu-gene.html Biotechnology Thu, 23 Jul 2026 21:20:01 EDT news704038621 Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and University of Cambridge in collaboration with colleagues at HHMI Janelia and NIH, have created some of the most detailed three-dimensional maps ever generated of human airway cells, revealing how the specialized cells that protect our lungs are built and organized. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-3d-nanoscale-human-airway-epithelium.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:50:01 EDT news704038861 Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a new way to add large pieces of genetic information to plants, overcoming a challenge that has limited plant biotechnology for decades. The advance could help scientists build more complex traits into plants in the future, supporting research into areas such as crop resilience, sustainable agriculture, biotechnology and the use of plants as scalable platforms for producing therapeutics and biologics. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-genome-tool-large-genetic-sequences.html Biotechnology Wed, 22 Jul 2026 19:40:01 EDT news703949461 All cellular life—from humans to bacteria—possesses two layers of immunity: innate and adaptive. Scientists have long understood how these two types of immunity work together in higher organisms but not in the microbial world. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-crispr-cas-layered-bacterial-defense.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:40:06 EDT news703945801 The American chestnut tree was a dominant and iconic species in many Appalachian forests until it was devastated by an introduced fungus from Asia called chestnut blight. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-genetic-approaches-american-chestnut-glory.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:00:01 EDT news703942561 A new method at the University of Missouri could transform how Rocky Mountain spotted fever is diagnosed. The method detects the deadly tick-borne disease in just 40 minutes—a leap that could help patients get lifesaving treatment sooner. The study, "A rapid isothermal RPA–CRISPR/Cas12a assay for detection of Rickettsia rickettsii," was published in Frontiers in Microbiology. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-deadly-borne-disease.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:20:01 EDT news703863061 Bacteria have spent decades evolving resistance to virtually every antibiotic we have thrown at them. To stay ahead, new drugs must hit targets that existing antibiotics have never touched. A research team at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) has now developed a series of synthetic drug candidates that do exactly that: By blocking an essential molecular supply system, these molecules cut off the bacteria's supply of essential vitamins and starve them to death. The team published its findings in two studies in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-antibiotic-candidates-starve-resistant-bacteria.html Biochemistry Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:00:05 EDT news703858081 Scientists have successfully edited the genome of biting midges, opening the door to new research on how these insects transmit disease. Culicoides biting midges are small blood-feeding insects responsible for spreading important vector-borne viruses such as bluetongue virus (BTV), Schmallenberg virus (SBV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), which cause major losses to livestock production worldwide. Despite their importance as disease vectors, Culicoides are among the smallest blood-feeding insects, just 1–4 mm (0.04–0.16 inches) long, making them difficult to study in the laboratory. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-world-gene-culicoides-midges-door.html Biotechnology Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:40:12 EDT news703771621 Blood transfusions are crucial in human and veterinary medicine, yet human blood reserves are in constant need of donors, while blood bank systems in veterinary care are nearly nonexistent. This leaves canine transfusions largely reliant on donations from healthy dogs, but securing compatible blood remains a major challenge because dogs also have different blood types. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-generating-red-blood-cell-cells.html Biotechnology Sun, 19 Jul 2026 20:00:05 EDT news703496702 Scientists have made many advances using traditional CRISPR technology, especially in medicine, but they are now seeking ways to create genuinely new gene-editing enzymes with properties that have not already evolved naturally. A new study, published in Science, describes a new AI-designed synthetic TnpB enzyme, called SynTnpBs, that has outperformed the natural reference enzyme. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-aidesigned-geneediting-enzymes-crispr-toolbox.html Biotechnology Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:59:19 EDT news703511930 Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and Kiel University (CAU) have examined immune system function in an early-branching animal—a sea anemone. They discovered that the immune systems of these animals can selectively distinguish between different microorganisms, protecting beneficial bacteria from harmful bacteria—an ability that has been attributed only to vertebrates to date. So-called "nematosomes" play an important role in this process. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-invertebrates-distinguish-good-bad-bacteria.html Ecology Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:20:11 EDT news703417988 Hiroshima University researchers have used genome editing to transform red perilla into a green look-alike and simultaneously restructured the plant's chemistry to boost levels of compounds prized for their potential health benefits. The findings point to a new strategy for developing high-value crops for the food and pharmaceutical industries. The study was published in Frontiers in Plant Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-disrupting-enzyme-gene-herb-red.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:07 EDT news703420275 Just as this country celebrated its 250th birthday, some geneticists were celebrating America, too. At the end of June, the National Institutes of Health announced its "All of Us" Research Program had become the world's largest database of integrated health and genomic information. The project, launched in 2015 under the Obama administration, aimed to collect comprehensive genetic information and health records from at least a million Americans. Eleven years later, they're approaching that goal, with 747,000 volunteers sharing their whole genomes, lifelong health records or both. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-biobank-global-resource-roots-disease.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:00:04 EDT news703332766 Water-saving irrigation practices, including intermittent irrigation, are essential for sustainable rice cultivation amid growing freshwater shortages. However, periodic drainage creates aerobic soil conditions that drastically boost cadmium (Cd) bioavailability, leading to severe grain Cd enrichment. Disentangling the relationship between water conservation and high grain Cd has been a critical challenge for rice breeders and soil scientists worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-uncover-molecular-mechanism-linking.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:00:06 EDT news703169656 A team led by bioengineers at the University of California San Diego has developed a genome-scale reference map that details how individual genes control the functions and identities of human stem cells. This open-access resource could help researchers build virtual cell models for complex diseases, as well as design patient-specific treatments for these diseases. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-million-stem-cells-reveal-genome.html Biotechnology Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:30:01 EDT news703155590 The molecular machinery that normally builds proteins inside cells has now taken on a new role as a "switch." A research team at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has developed a new 'RNA-based smart gene circuit' platform that can simultaneously read multiple signals inside a cell, make its own decisions and autonomously generate programmed responses. This represents a step beyond simple genetic manipulation toward an era in which cells themselves function as "living computers." https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ribosome-based-gene-circuit-cells.html Biochemistry Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:00:06 EDT news702647029 The speed at which a cell produces proteins is a decisive factor in determining whether it divides, specializes or retains its stem cell properties. A team of researchers led by Professor Stefan H. Stricker, professor of epigenetic engineering at LMU's Biomedical Center and research group leader at Helmholtz Munich, has worked with international partners to demonstrate directly for the first time that the amount of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) directly regulates these processes. Their results were published in the journal Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-crispr-method-protein-production-cells.html Biotechnology Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news702729337 When Dolly the sheep—the first cloned mammal—was born 30 years ago, she became one of the most famous animals in science history. Her arrival sparked predictions of a sci-fi future filled with cloned pets, cloned humans and even resurrected extinct animals like the wooly mammoth. But the reality of cloning has turned out to be much more complicated. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-years-dolly-sheep-born-cloning.html Biotechnology Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news702720661 A new genetic screening method allows researchers to efficiently modulate individual genes across entire tissues and provides new insights into human development. The research, published in eLife, is described as a landmark study by the journal's editors. They go on to say in their assessment of the work that "this technical tour de force is exceptional and one of the first studies to reveal new knowledge on human development through embryo models." https://phys.org/news/2026-07-unveils-genetic-screen-human.html Biotechnology Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:20:11 EDT news702646951 Throughout human ecological history, we have played a variety of roles within ecosystems around the world. In this so-called Anthropocene era, genomic innovations have given us new and powerful ways to influence the environment and the countless species with whom we share the planet. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-genomics-center-indigenous-knowledge-rights.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Jul 2026 19:40:01 EDT news702290439 In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, a team of researchers led by Dr. Wang Yu from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed PRINCE and Little Prince, dual small-molecule-controlled genome editing systems that allow CRISPR activity to be switched on by drug inducers and kept largely silent in their absence. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-small-molecule-therapeutic-crispr-demand.html Biotechnology Fri, 03 Jul 2026 16:40:01 EDT news702223691 Researchers have spent decades—and billions of dollars—sequencing animal and crop genomes, but fungi have historically been the forgotten middle child of genomics, only noticed when they're ruining bread or colonizing toes. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-fungal-genome-tool-fresh-paths.html Biotechnology Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:40:03 EDT news702287408 The scenes are biblical. Tens of thousands of rodents scattering across canola fields, behind sheds, into machinery. River fish with bellies full of mice. Carcasses littering the street, the sidewalk, outside your home. In supermarkets, the inescapable stench of dead and dying mice. These are the undeniable signs of a mouse plague. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-mouse-plague.html Ecology Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:00:03 EDT news702212402 The reefs scattered throughout the tropics arose only after algae took up full-time residence in coral cells, supplying corals with abundant food and enabling them to build extensive shallow-water communities. But with warming oceans, algae are often abandoning coral—causing what's known as bleaching—and turning reefs that were once teeming with life into ghost towns. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-algae-coral-reefs-hijacking-cells.html Ecology Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:00:01 EDT news702115922 Every time a cell copies its DNA, parts of the genome are exposed and vulnerable to damage or errors. Molecular biologist Simon Boulton is interested in how cells spot and repair damage to their DNA, and what happens if this process fails or if key genes are mutated. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-loss-dna-protector-gene-exposes.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:40:03 EDT news702043381 A research team at the University of Turku in Finland has developed a reliable laboratory model to study BAP1-deficient melanomas, which are a rare type of melanoma that evade the immune system once they have metastasized and are universally resistant to current state-of-the-art immunotherapies. The tool could change how therapies are developed for aggressive melanomas that currently have almost no effective treatment options. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cellular-rare-deadly-melanomas-enables.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:00:08 EDT news701958121