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. 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 The position of biomineralization peptides within liposomes can influence how gold nanoparticles grow, reports a research team from the Institute of Science Tokyo. Peptides localized at the membrane interface promote branched structures, while those confined to the liposome interior favor spherical nanoparticles. The findings offer a new strategy for controlling nanoscale reaction environments in nanoparticle synthesis. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-peptide-position-gold-nanoparticles-stay.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:00:04 EDT news708609646 For decades, scientists have understood proteins primarily through two defining features: their amino acid sequence and their three-dimensional structure. This framework has driven major advances in biology, biotechnology and medicine, culminating in recent artificial intelligence tools capable of predicting protein structures with remarkable accuracy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-scientists-visualize-proteins-hidden-architecture.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:00:01 EDT news708252668 Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), and Tianjin Medical University General Hospital have developed a bioinspired lipid nanoparticle (LNP) that can deliver gene-editing machinery to the liver and reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly known as "bad" cholesterol. The nanoparticles reduced LDL and total cholesterol by more than 20% after two doses, while showing fewer signs of inflammation and toxicity than comparator formulations. The findings were published in the Journal of Controlled Release. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bioinspired-nanoparticles-gene-bad-cholesterol.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:12 EDT news706878661 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 Respiratory infectious diseases and air pollution remain persistent global health challenges. Yet the tools used to monitor airborne threats are often expensive, power-hungry and difficult to deploy outside laboratories. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterfly-technology-air.html Environment Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news705923941 New research reveals the unusual shape, size and pattern of the dermal denticles that cover basking sharks—thought to be unique to this species. Researchers propose that the shape and arrangement of the skin's scales protect the skin while also allowing for the stretchiness required to open and close their colossal mouths during ram filter feeding. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-uncovering-secrets-basking-shark-bizarre.html Plants & Animals Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:00:01 EDT news702794042 Nature has invented countless types of pointy appendages, and scientists have long sought to explain what makes these structures so effective at puncturing other things. A new study models the key physical characteristics of puncturing tools to reflect their diversity in nature, finding that the shape of a biological tool is driven in part by trade-offs between its puncture efficiency and its ability to resist bending or buckling. The findings are described in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nature-tools-reveal-offs-piercing.html Plants & Animals Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:00:13 EDT news702700982 The shape of biological structures, ranging from flower petals to the limbs or organs of animals, is often naturally best suited for performing specific functions. Biological structures also often present curved surfaces with specific functional advantages, such as facilitating the drainage of water, increasing a structure's strength or aerodynamic efficiency, or supporting heavy loads. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-bioinspired-strategy-complex-3d-shrinkage.html General Physics Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:20:07 EDT news702118964 Biomaterials with extraordinary properties, such as spider silk, have so far been known primarily from animals. Researchers at the University of Salzburg in Austria have now deciphered a surprising counterpart from the world of single-celled organisms: The shells of tintinnids, microscopic planktonic organisms, consist of self-assembling structural proteins that form a particularly resilient material and are capable of absorbing UV light. This is the first description of a biomaterial produced by a eukaryotic single-celled organism (protist), establishing tintinnids as a new model system for the future development of advanced biomaterials. More than 200 years after the discovery of tintinnids, the composition of their shells has finally been deciphered. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-centuries-planktonic-shell-mystery-discovery.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:40:01 EDT news701618339 A research team from the Technion's Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering has developed an original technology for treating cancer using nanoparticles that carry no drugs at all and has demonstrated its effectiveness against particularly dangerous and stubborn tumors. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-drug-free-nanoparticles-tumor-growth.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:06 EDT news700909131 The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a marvel of nature, a highly effective killer that doesn't have to move an inch to capture and kill its prey. It releases a fruity nectar scent to attract flies and other insects. After they land in the trap, tiny hairs are triggered and the leaves shut with impressive speed. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-venus-flytrap-snap-rapid-cell.html Plants & Animals Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:11:47 EDT news700477872 From chewing to chomping to grinding, teeth suffer from a lifetime of repeated mechanical stress. It makes sense, then, that enamel is one of the hardest natural materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-molecular-picture-tooth-enamel-reveals.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:17 EDT news699278641 Bacteria from the Middle East have caused precipitation all the way out in California. The same bacteria, which are known to attack plants, have also been found embedded within lumps of hail in West Africa. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-proteins-ice-cool-applications-cryomedicine.html Biotechnology Tue, 19 May 2026 11:00:09 EDT news698321282 Many emerging medical technologies rely on seamless integration between biological systems and electronics. This requires materials that are soft, electrically conductive, and biologically active—properties that have been difficult to combine in a single system. Research teams led by Prof. Dr. Ivan Minev (TUD Dresden University of Technology, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden) and by Dr. Christoph Tondera (Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden and Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden at TUD) have now developed such a material. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-hydrogel-enables-electrical-biochemical.html Biochemistry Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:20:05 EDT news694182121 As human-caused climate change continues to raise temperatures across the globe, understanding how birds regulate their temperature is vital for their conservation. But how much heat birds emit—an invisible spectrum of radiation known as mid-infrared—has never been studied, until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-birds-space-hidden-feathers.html Plants & Animals Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:06 EDT news693044582 Two parallel experiments in protein self-assembly produced strikingly different results, demonstrating that protein designers should consider incorporating physical forces now missing from even Nobel-prize-winning protein design algorithms. The results, published in Nature Communications, also demonstrate that AI and machine learning have evolved to become essential tools for analyzing complex datasets to produce meaningful results. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ai-analysis-nanoribbon-reveals-protein.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:40:10 EDT news692885401 As the Arctic region becomes increasingly contested, the U.S. military faces a new era of challenges in one of the world's most inhospitable environments. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, are tapping into the unique properties of ice-affecting biomolecules to develop novel materials and technologies that could give the nation a critical strategic and operational edge. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-cold-tolerant-proteins-arctic-edge.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:40:01 EST news691745582 Researchers from Guangxi University, China have developed a new gas sensor that detects ammonia with a record speed of 1.4 seconds. The sensor's design mimics the structure of alveoli—the tiny air sacs in human lungs—while relying on a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. The sensor uses a process that is driven by A-droplets, which are tiny water droplets containing a trapped air bubble. These droplets exploit ammonia's affinity for water to rapidly capture NH₃ when it is present. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ammonia-leaks-seconds-alveoli-droplet.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:01 EST news690031091 All over the body are tiny sensors called nociceptors whose job is to spot potentially harmful stimuli and send warning signals to the brain and spinal cord, helping protect us from injury or tissue damage. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-artificial-pain-receptor-intensity.html Materials Science Sun, 18 Jan 2026 13:10:01 EST news687625645 Cilia are micrometer-sized biological structures that occur frequently in nature. Their characteristic high-frequency, three-dimensional beating motions (5–40 Hz) play indispensable roles inside the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-hydrogel-cilia-standard-microrobotics.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:00:05 EST news687602761 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers have created a new carbon-negative building material that could transform sustainable construction. The breakthrough, published in the high-impact journal Matter, details the development of enzymatic structural material (ESM), a strong, durable, and recyclable construction material produced through a low-energy, bioinspired process. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-material-absorbs-quickly-sustainable.html Materials Science Sat, 06 Dec 2025 15:30:02 EST news684257372 From cells that migrate to tissues that heal, nature abounds with systems capable of sensing and adapting to their surroundings. Replicating this level of adaptability in synthetic systems has remained a grand challenge in chemistry and materials science. Most artificial materials, though inspired by biology, still react to only one stimulus and lack the integrated responsiveness that characterizes living matter. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-supramolecular-robotics-enables-soft-materials.html Biochemistry Wed, 29 Oct 2025 14:10:01 EDT news680963985 Scientists at Heriot-Watt University have unlocked the secret behind how female sawflies make specific cuts to plants—a discovery that could revolutionize surgical instruments and dramatically reduce the cutting of healthy tissue during operations. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-smart-female-sawflies-surgery-patient.html Plants & Animals Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:08:05 EDT news678964081 Fungi are vital to natural ecosystems by breaking down dead organic material and cycling it back into the environment as nutrients. But new research from the University of Utah finds one species, Marquandomyces marquandii, a ubiquitous soil mold, shows promise as a potential building block for new biomedical materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-soil-fungus-durable-hydrogels-potential.html Biochemistry Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:24:04 EDT news678558241 The metamorphosis of butterflies from larvae to pupae to adulthood is a natural wonder. By investigating the developmental processes that occur within the pupa, transforming it into a butterfly, scientists have discovered a new twist in a process that forms an intricate nanostructure responsible for the vibrant green colors of their wings. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-braided-nanostructures-reveal-3d-tapestry.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:53:03 EDT news678444781 Coccolithophores are a type of single-celled microalgae that fix CO2 into organic matter and precipitate calcium carbonate, profoundly shaping ocean optics, carbon export, and long-term carbon storage. They are major contributors to ocean photosynthesis, especially in temperate and open-ocean waters. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-reveal-molecular-efficient-harvesting-largest.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:37:03 EDT news676895821 Flexible pressure sensors can detect subtle mechanical stimuli, making them suitable for use in wearable sensors for human health monitoring and motion analysis. However, current sensors suffer from insufficient sensitivity, poor durability, and subpar stability. In a new study, taking inspiration from cat whiskers, researchers developed novel biomass fiber/sodium alginate aerogel (BFA)-based sensors that demonstrated excellent pressure sensitivity, durability, and rapid response, while being suitable for human physiological monitoring and motion analysis. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-cat-whiskers-highly-sensitive-generation.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:20:13 EDT news676727295 The tongues of chameleons and salamanders might not seem like the inspiration for tomorrow's engineering breakthroughs, but inside the Deban Laboratory at the University of South Florida, biology and engineering are colliding to reveal how nature's designs could one day help solve challenges on Earth and beyond. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-videos-high-tongues-salamanders-chameleons.html Plants & Animals Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:10:03 EDT news676566120 By examining squid skin cells three-dimensionally, a University of California, Irvine–led team has unveiled the structures responsible for the creatures' ability to dynamically change their appearance from transparent to arbitrarily colored states. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-scientists-uncover-cell-squids.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:54:03 EDT news670240441