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. When drinking water is stored in containers, a thin layer of microorganisms can grow at the interface of the container and water. This thin layer is called a biofilm. It's made up of bacteria that make the water unsafe to drink. Slimy biofilms are harder to kill with ordinary disinfectants like chlorine. So scientists are always looking for new ways to clean water in household storage systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-slimy-bacterial-nanotechnology-solution.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:20:01 EDT news702562502 In 1562, Cardinal Giovanni de Medici, a scion of the dynastic family that dominated politics and banking in Tuscany during the Renaissance, died of malaria. Twenty-five years later, his older brother, Grand Duke Francesco de Medici, succumbed to the same disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-medici-brothers-reveal-renaissance-era.html Archaeology Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:50:01 EDT news702054601 Reed, an invasive alien plant that is abundant on the banks of many rivers, ponds and canals, can encourage the growth of common mosquito populations in the absence of natural predators. When the plant's litter accumulates, the chemical properties of the water and the composition of the biological communities in the environment change radically, and this facilitates the development of mosquito larvae in freshwater ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-reeds-boost-mosquito-rivers-ponds.html Plants & Animals Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:40:01 EDT news696179101 Modern analytical tools are no less than a time machine. From their 21st-century labs, researchers can peer into the everyday lives, hygiene, and even the parasites that plagued the people who lived centuries ago. In one such recent venture, a team from Poland turned their attention to the Roman province of Moesia Inferior, studying the dried remains of human waste preserved in Roman toilets dating from the 2nd to 4th centuries CE. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-roman-toilets-crusted-expose.html Archaeology Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:20:02 EDT news696162917 The world's first lab-based tick feeding system for bush ticks, developed by researchers at the University of Melbourne, has transformed the study of ticks and how they transmit disease. The novel, host-free technology reduces the need for animal experiments in tick studies, facilitating more ethical, reproducible research. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-artificial-platform-diseases.html Biotechnology Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:00:04 EST news691993861 Human norovirus and adenovirus, two major causes of viral gastroenteritis, can persist for extended periods inside free-living amoebas that are common in natural and engineered water systems. A newly published study shows that these gut viruses can "hide" within different stages of the amoebas and remain capable of causing infection after this detour. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-hidden-viruses-amoebae-safety-trojan.html Ecology Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:35:16 EST news685294501 As tough as medieval chainmail armor and as soft as a contact lens. This material is not taken from science fiction, it is a natural structure made of thousands of DNA circles interlinked with each other. Studying it can help us advance our knowledge in many fields, from biophysics and infectious diseases to materials science and biomedical engineering. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-vital-intertwining-blood-parasite-chainmail.html Biochemistry Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:56:23 EST news685119361 For the first time, researchers at Umeå University have observed the same type of programmed cell death in microalgae as in humans. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, shows that this central biological process is older than previously thought. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-cell-death-microalgae-resembles-humans.html Evolution Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:52:03 EDT news678354721 Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease prevalent across 90 countries, affects approximately 12 million people worldwide, with 350 million more at risk of infection. Caused by unicellular parasites known as Leishmania protozoa, the disease commonly manifests as skin sores that can develop into deep ulcers. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-treatment-leishmaniasis-disease-okinawan-marine.html Biotechnology Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:01:05 EDT news677926862 A set of bones belonging to sauropods, as long-necked dinosaurs are called, found in the municipality of Ibirá in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, reveals that the region was conducive to a bone disease that was fatal to these animals. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-deadly-bone-disease-doomed-southeast.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 27 Aug 2025 17:11:03 EDT news675533461 Near the Syrian city of Afrin, an international research team, including researchers from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tübingen, has discovered a previously unknown fossil sea turtle. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-fossil-syria-unknown-sea-turtle.html Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:56:04 EDT news674466961 Natural products are among the most promising candidates for the development of new drugs. However, due to their structural complexity, they are often difficult to access. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-enzymatic-genetic-advances-synthesis-natural.html Biochemistry Mon, 12 May 2025 14:16:40 EDT news666278193 A research team of the Cluster at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) and the Friedrich Schiller University, Jena has studied the interaction between amoebas, bacteria, and plants. Researchers from the University of Bayreuth were also involved in the study. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-pseudomonas-syringae-chemical-radar-amoebas.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:00:06 EDT news662733241 Scientists from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences found forty new freshwater viruses infecting aquatic microorganisms this year. The first one, which they isolated and described in detail, was named Budvirus after the South Bohemian capital České Budějovice. It belongs to "Giant Viruses" and it infects unicellular algae called cryptophytes. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-scientists-giant-virus-infects-freshwater.html Ecology Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:52:04 EST news651340322 A research team conducted a 73-day large-volume Aquatron macrocosm experiment, utilizing flow cytometry and dilution experiments to thoroughly investigate the temporal changes and influencing factors in the abundance, growth rate, and mortality of high nucleic acid (HNA) and low nucleic acid (LNA) prokaryotes, and the resulting carbon flow dynamics within the microbial loop. They explored the adaptive strategies of these microbial subgroups in response to declining resource availability and selective grazing by protozoa. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-strategies-high-nucleic-acid-prokaryotes.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:33:02 EDT news643908781 A new study led by Prof. Yuval Gottlieb from the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has unveiled important information about the relationship between the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and its Coxiella-like symbiotic bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-bacteria-hidden-survival.html Ecology Mon, 12 Aug 2024 12:35:09 EDT news642684907 Nilgai, a non-native antelope species that freely ranges Southern Texas and Northeastern Mexico, do not appear to be susceptible to infection following experimental exposure to Babesia bovis, according to recent findings by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-nilgai-antelope-carriers-bovine-babesiosis.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 08 Aug 2024 09:10:01 EDT news642326421 Five eagerly anticipated events in the Paris Olympics will be the mens and womens 10 kilometer marathon swimming races, as well as the 1,500 meter swimming section of three triathlon events. Why? Because all will be held in the Seine River in the center of Paris. The swimmers—including four Australians—will pass famous landmarks such as the Musee d'Orsay as they swim through the historic heart of the city. This will have enormous scenic appeal for spectators. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-century-illegal-seine-paris-river.html Environment Wed, 17 Jul 2024 12:41:36 EDT news640438889 Plankton—tiny organisms that are present in salt and freshwater—account for about half of the photosynthesis on the planet. But what scientists have assumed for many years to be plant plankton (phytoplankton) may actually be voracious predators. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-climate-lake-phytoplankton-predatory-atmosphere.html Environment Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:10:05 EDT news639914815 The risk to public health from human feces in our rivers and seas will increase without action to create a wastewater system fit for the future, according to a Leeds academic. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-academic-sewage-health.html Environment Wed, 22 May 2024 14:21:05 EDT news635606461 Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains 1 of the top 3 global public health challenges facing humanity. Every year, 70,000 people die globally from AMR, and the threat is exacerbated by the fact that we have moved from the era of excess antibiotics to one where only a few antibiotics are considered innovative by World Health Organization (WHO) standards. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-blighia-sapida-tropical-fruit-antimicrobial.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:16:04 EST news629054161 Supplementing the feed of high-producing dairy cows with the botanical extract capsicum oleoresin, obtained from chili peppers, or a combination of that extract and clove oil resulted in the animals using feed energy more efficiently and emitting less methane from their largest stomach, according to a new study conducted by Penn State researchers. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-dairy-cows-fed-botanicals-supplemented.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 14 Feb 2024 16:14:04 EST news627149642 Research shows that three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases are passed from animals to humans; an illness of this type is known as zoonosis (plural: zoonoses). Farm animals, especially pigs and poultry, pose a high risk of zoonotic infection. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-animal-welfare-health-case-farm.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 08 Jan 2024 09:19:16 EST news623927952 A team of pathologists, geneticists, immunologists and engineers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has found a previously unrecognized diversity of protists in the Parabasalia phylum in both mice and humans. In their paper published on the open-access site of the journal Cell, the group describes their study of the differences between species of protists living in the guts of mice and humans. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-large-diversity-protists-parabasalia-phylum.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 29 Dec 2023 09:24:44 EST news623064280 The anecdotes abound this year—friends reporting magical clusters of monarch butterflies on their walks, dozens of organizations offering free giveaways of native milkweed, and projects to restore habitat, even a lone monarch gracefully fluttering outside my window as i'm writing these words. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-monarch-butterflies-days-crisis.html Plants & Animals Tue, 31 Oct 2023 09:10:01 EDT news617960664 Ciliate protozoa possess the remarkable ability to reproduce through both asexual and sexual means. Their distinctive sexual process involves conjugation and autogamy, and they wield a secret weapon: extraordinary nuclear dimorphism. Within each cell resides both a germline micronucleus (MIC) and a somatic macronucleus (MAC). When subjected to fluorescent staining, their sexual processes transform into a captivating kaleidoscope of vibrant colors, creating a cellular carnival of vibrant colors. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-unveiling-ciliate-conjugation-insights-paramecium.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 30 Oct 2023 16:59:44 EDT news617903982 You might have noticed it after sliding on a rock in a Melbourne creek. Or it could have been wading through a Northern Territory waterhole. It's slime, and our rivers are full of it. That's a good thing. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-slime-biofilms-rivers-vitally-important.html Ecology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 13:42:27 EDT news616682545 Methane concentrations have increased rapidly and have doubled in the atmosphere compared to preindustrial levels. Within the agricultural sector, animal production contributes to 14.5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and produces around 37% of global emissions of CH4. Microbial fermentation in the rumen produces 6% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions representing around 40% of total livestock emissions. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-nutritional-strategies-mitigate-methane-emissions.html Ecology Tue, 19 Sep 2023 14:02:03 EDT news614350921 The soil beneath our feet is a living entity. It is home to many microbes on Earth responsible for crucial processes such as decomposition and supporting plant health. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-healthy-soil-food-emissions-inaction.html Ecology Thu, 14 Sep 2023 11:28:05 EDT news613909681 Half of the biodiversity in forests is unseen because it lives belowground. These organisms are miniscule in size, but their importance to the ecosystem is enormous. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-successfully-forests-stewarding-hidden-life.html Ecology Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:50:02 EDT news610711703