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. As waves of humans left Africa tens of thousands of years ago, eventually populating the entire planet, they were joined on their world-conquering ride by the trillions of microorganisms that compose the gut microbiome. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-gut-bacteria-reveal-ancient-human.html Evolution Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:01:10 EDT news710523661 When a person falls and gets a cut or a scrape, they often use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. This molecular compound is also produced within our cells, helping our immune system build its defenses against harmful bacteria or other pathogens. Hydrogen peroxide is produced inside plants, too, where it acts as a messenger, telling cells to beef up a plant's defenses when it is stressed, wounded or under attack. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tiny-channels-cells-wound-hydrogen.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:50:01 EDT news710514961 Rutgers scientists have identified natural repellents against an invasive blueberry pest, a discovery made accidentally when fruit flies invaded their laboratory. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-food-kitchen-whiff-vinegar-happy.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:20:06 EDT news710413922 Whether in drug discovery, environmental analysis or metabolomics: anyone analyzing complex biological samples often needs to identify the small molecules they contain. Researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, in collaboration with partners from the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich, have developed a method that addresses a problem in analytical chemistry that has persisted for decades. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-method-retention-small-molecules.html Biochemistry Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:30:01 EDT news710091121 In water, soil and air all around us lives a free-living, single-celled organism called Acanthamoeba. Most of the time, Acanthamoeba keeps to itself. On rare occasions, though, the amoeba infects humans and can cause severe infections of the eyes, skin and even the brain. What's more, doctors can struggle to diagnose and treat the eye infection caused by the organism, called Acanthamoeba keratitis. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-eye-amoeba-resists-treatment-biochemistry.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:00:02 EDT news709919162 Federal prosecutors recently described an interstate criminal enterprise with all the trappings of organized crime: clandestine warehouses, money laundering and stolen goods transported across state lines. The mid-September 2026 announcement stated that 19 defendants faced charges; two had just pleaded guilty, while the remainder are slated for trial in April 2027. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-criminal-conspiracy-cooking-oil-trash.html Environment Wed, 30 Sep 2026 13:20:24 EDT news709983722 Manufacturing modern medicines is a multistage process, and each step introduces the opportunity for contamination, which can be both deadly and expensive. Recently, epinephrine injections, used for severe allergic reactions, were recalled due to a lack of assurance of sterility, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-qa-safety-sterilization-pharmaceuticals.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:20:01 EDT news709982162 Asgard archaea, our closest known microbial relatives, play a key role in current models of the origin of more complex organisms, known as eukaryotes (all animals, plants, protists and fungi). However, their biology has so far been poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-asgard-archaea-motility-older-previously.html Evolution Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:20 EDT news709920782 A University of Kentucky forest entomologist is advancing a pest-control approach designed to target destructive forest beetles while minimizing effects on surrounding wildlife. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-gene-silencing-technology-forests-invasive.html Plants & Animals Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:20:01 EDT news709967942 Researchers at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) have discovered that a fungus living inside a common Kentucky woodland grass produces a rare combination of chemicals that likely helps protect the plant from hungry insects. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-fungus-kentucky-forest-grass-rare.html Ecology Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:40:01 EDT news709895762 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 In acute, life-threatening infections, rapidly characterizing the microorganisms in a patient sample can help guide diagnosis and treatment. Computational methods known as taxonomic profilers can analyze metagenome sequencing data generated from the microorganisms' genomic information and compare it with reference genomes of individual microorganisms. However, taxonomic profilers are still under development and are not yet in common use. Current methods can produce false-positive results or inaccurate abundance estimates. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microbial-dna-scarce-profiling-method.html Biotechnology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:00:01 EDT news709827486 A polyphenol-rich extract from Cistus salviifolius, a Mediterranean rockrose species traditionally used to treat skin conditions, has shown fungicidal activity against several dermatophytes, the fungi responsible for superficial infections of the skin, hair and nails. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mediterranean-rockrose-fungicidal-common-skin.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:00:01 EDT news708852782 Farmers used to sniff their soil to gauge how healthy it was. According to ecologist Rosa Boone, you can deduce a great deal from its smell: "The fungi and bacteria present in the soil are important for soil health and are responsible for the soil's smell." Boone discovered that the smell of soil can be captured and analyzed in the lab, providing insights into these microbial communities. "Monitoring soil life is becoming increasingly important, particularly in view of the forthcoming soil monitoring guidelines. My research shows that there is great potential for developing a sensor—an 'electronic nose'—that could be used to analyze microbial soil life directly, based on how it smells." https://phys.org/news/2026-09-soil-health.html Ecology Sun, 27 Sep 2026 20:30:06 EDT news709376448 Scientists from the Biosciences Department at Durham University have outlined possible new approaches to protecting crops from devastating diseases by finding common weaknesses in the proteins pathogens use to attack plants. The researchers presented their ideas in a recent review article in The Plant Journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ways-crops-pathogen-weaknesses.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:00:01 EDT news709464241 Propolis may not only inhibit the growth of certain fungi but also affect the activity of drugs used to treat fungal infections. Researchers have investigated how an ethanolic extract of Polish propolis interacts with various antifungal agents. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bee-propolis-boosts-antifungal-drug.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:00:10 EDT news709398541 In a new study, cats and dogs showed a short-term preference for kibble containing some protein derived from microorganisms over kibble containing only standard animal-derived protein. Ally Motta de Matos and A.L.B. Cruz of MicroHarvest—an European company that produces protein ingredients through fermentation, with pet food as its first market—present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-kibble-microbial-proteins-appeals-cats.html Biotechnology Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:00:05 EDT news709290528 A tiny, single-celled organism can thrive at temperatures that would kill all other known complex life. In a study published in Cell, scientists describe a new species of amoeba that can eat and reproduce in hot spring water as warm as 63°C (145°F) in California's Lassen Volcanic National Park. The amoeba can protect itself at temperatures up to 70°C (158°F) by changing shape and forming a protective outer layer. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-hot-amoeba-tolerance-complex-life.html Ecology Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:00:09 EDT news709205701 At the scale of individual cells, the human body is constantly in motion. Every second, millions of cells divide, particularly in tissues such as the bone marrow, intestine and skin; neurons and heart muscle cells divide far less frequently. All of this depends on the molecular machinery responsible for copying the billions of chemical units that make up DNA inside the nucleus. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-newly-mechanism-cells-errors-dna.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:20:05 EDT news709213261 Scientists have taken a step toward a better understanding of how fungi sense and respond to nutrients in the environment, which is critical for engineering fungi for green technologies and combating fungal pathogens and their resistance to treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-newfound-fungal-nutrient-mechanism-advance.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:20:02 EDT news708871682 Old-growth forests are some of Europe's most valuable natural ecosystems, but they are also among the most threatened. Their role in conserving biodiversity, regulating the climate, preserving cultural heritage and supporting people's well-being is invaluable. According to a rough estimate, only around 3% of Europe's forests meet the criteria for primary or old-growth forests, and their extent continues to decline rapidly in Northern Europe. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-growth-forests-northern-europe-requires.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:10:01 EDT news708882421 A recent study examined U.S. consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for different attributes of fresh-market grapes, providing insights for growers, retailers and the fresh produce industry. The research evaluated how factors such as grape size, sweetness, seedlessness, color and production methods influence purchasing decisions. Findings reveal that certain attributes significantly affect consumer buying behavior, offering guidance on which traits could be emphasized to meet market demand and potentially increase sales. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-explores-consumers-willingness-pay-fresh.html Agriculture Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:40:01 EDT news708867181 In the late evening of Aug. 31, 2026, I missed a call from Jennifer, a seventh-generation cattle rancher in Georgia. She was one of more than 70 family farmers and ranchers across the rural U.S. South and Midwest whom I'd gotten to know through my research over the past five years. We still kept up from time to time, but a late-night call had me worried that something had gone awry on her farm. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wendell-berry-meant-christian-farmers.html Agriculture Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:00:01 EDT news708861001 Researchers have discovered 16 new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden flowers and wildflowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fungi known to occur in the country. The findings are published in the journal IMA Fungus. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-sixteen-fungus-species-thailand.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:40:17 EDT news708856470 You forget a load in the machine overnight, and by morning it smells worse than before you washed it. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-laundry-smelly-stays-textile-scientist.html Materials Science Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:08 EDT news708849781 A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology discovered a previously unknown strategy by which certain fungi neutralize spruce defense compounds. These fungi are introduced into trees by bark beetles, and their success makes it easier for bark beetles to invade the trees. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-fungi-neutralize-spruce-defense-mechanisms.html Ecology Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:40:02 EDT news708782401 The biopolymer lignin—one of the most important carbon reservoirs in plants and soils—not only decays through fungi or bacteria but can also be chemically attacked by iron linked to reactive oxygen species, without the involvement of microorganisms. When this happens, lignin is converted into methanol and subsequently into formaldehyde. That is shown by a study conducted at Heidelberg University's Institute of Earth Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bacteria-chemicals-methanol-formaldehyde-abiotically.html Biochemistry Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:30:01 EDT news708788041 Lichens colonize trees and rocks all over the world. They are symbiotic communities between fungi and photosynthetically active green algae or cyanobacteria, in which both partners benefit from each other: The fungal partner relies on the algae for a supply of carbohydrates and, in return, it protects the algae from UV radiation and other environmental influences. The contact zone where the fungal cells and algal cells touch is crucial for transferring nutrients between the two symbiotic partners. Detailed investigations, particularly a three-dimensional understanding of this area between the cells, have been lacking until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-3d-scans-reveal-lichen-fungi.html Ecology Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:40:06 EDT news708767821 Have you ever found your lawn riddled with holes or heard a little sneeze from your backyard bushes? Those are signs you might have a resident bandicoot. Bandicoots are nocturnal, rabbit-sized marsupials known for their pointy snouts, thin tails and large hind feet. Due to these features, they were originally misnamed after a type of rat from India, the pandi-kokku, or "pig-rat" (Bandicota sp.). https://phys.org/news/2026-09-humans-maligned-bandicoots-decades-vulnerable.html Ecology Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:00:05 EDT news708683968 An international team of scientists has recreated a 1,000-year timeline documenting ecological changes and human impact on the area surrounding Crawford Lake, the famed location of the proposed Anthropocene. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ancient-dna-reveals-years-human.html Ecology Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:01 EDT news708155881