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. Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the deadliest cancers because it is often diagnosed late and is difficult to treat. However, a South Korean research team has developed "smart nanoparticles" that remain hidden in normal tissue but shed their protective coating and release anticancer drugs once they reach tumor tissue. This drug delivery technology is attracting attention for its potential to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment while significantly improving treatment efficacy. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-stealth-anticancer-nanoparticles-mussel-proteins.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:20:07 EDT news703326031 Female fertility depends on the successful growth and maturation of eggs (oocytes) within ovarian follicles. Within these follicles, the oocyte is surrounded by granulosa cells that supply nutrients, signaling molecules and structural support essential for egg development. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-microtubules-ovarian-cell-bridges-key.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news702215462 The dried larvae of the yellow mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor) are comparable to beef or poultry in nutritional value, but the mealworm has a far smaller ecological footprint. It was recently approved for human consumption by the European Food Safety Authority. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-yellow-mealworms-anatomically.html Veterinary medicine Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:20:12 EDT news701432655 The sail-backed predator Dimetrodon is one of the most iconic animals of the early Permian—long before dinosaurs dominated Earth. Most known species of this early relative of mammals reached large body sizes, sometimes up to 3 meters (10 feet) in length and 250 kilograms (550 pounds). Yet some species remained surprisingly small. A new study by an international research team led by Dr. Aurore Canoville of the Friedenstein Stiftung Gotha and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin now shows that these small body sizes were achieved through very different growth strategies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-famous-predator-shrank-ways-fossils.html Evolution Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:00:04 EDT news700832821 Box jellyfish are often feared as dangerous animals, with some species capable of causing severe or even fatal stings. However, box jellyfish nematocysts—organelles responsible for this toxic sting—are theorized to also play an unexpected role in reproduction. While many studies focus on researching the range of toxicity levels exhibited by the more than 50 species of box jellyfish, their reproductive process is poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-jellyfish-reveal-secret-life-implications.html Plants & Animals Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:00:01 EDT news699533821 Well-preserved archaeological bone samples have different microbial communities than heavily degraded bone samples, providing a new understanding of how microbes contribute to bone degradation, according to a study published in PLOS One by Damla Kaptan from the University of Stavanger, Norway, and colleagues. This study combines detailed analyses of archaeological bone degradation with analyses of microbiome diversity, providing new insights into how microbes may contribute to long-term bone preservation and decay. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-link-specific-microbiomes-archaeological-bone.html Archaeology Wed, 27 May 2026 14:00:19 EDT news699026160 A study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology describes a new species of dinosaur discovered during construction of a road-rail terminal in the city of Davinópolis in the state of Maranhão, in the Northeast of Brazil. The animal, named Dasosaurus tocantinensis, was approximately 20 meters long and lived about 120 million years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-necked-dinosaur-northeast-brazil-european.html Evolution Wed, 06 May 2026 16:40:03 EDT news697300165 A research team from the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) has led the paleohistological study of Ampelomeryx ginsburgi, a giraffomorph ruminant from the Middle Miocene recovered at the Els Casots site (Catalonia, Spain). Through microscopic analysis of bone tissues, the researchers were able to determine that this peculiar animal reached skeletal maturity at three years of age, while reproductive maturity began around the second year. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ampelomeryx-grew-life-history-giraffe.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:40:07 EDT news696681781 Prolonged exposure to microplastics can disrupt vital physiological processes in gorgonians, such as respiration. Although these pollutants do not cause visible damage to tissues and cells, their effects could have an ecological impact on these organisms that structure the seabed, particularly if prolonged exposure occurs alongside other environmental pressures, such as ocean warming, habitat degradation or the growing accumulation of plastics in the marine environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-prolonged-exposure-microplastics-disrupts-metabolism.html Ecology Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:00:17 EDT news693503521 It's well known that spaceflight causes muscle atrophy and other biological changes in reduced gravity, and especially in near-zero gravity (microgravity) environments. However, the gravity threshold needed to maintain sufficient muscle health in space is still unclear. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-iss-thresholds-muscle-atrophy-fiber.html Space Exploration Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:20:05 EDT news692881116 In reptiles, a simple temperature change can determine whether an egg develops into a male or female. This process is formally known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), in which the sex of an embryo is determined by the temperature it experiences during a specific window of development known as the temperature-sensitive period. For example, in American alligators, incubation at around 30 °C typically produces females, while temperatures near 33 °C produce males, although extremely high temperatures can again result in females. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-leopard-gecko-temperature-sex.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:20:04 EDT news692619661 Swallowing is a fundamental human function that supports nutrition and communication. Damage to swallowing muscles can reduce quality of life and even lead to aspiration pneumonia or malnutrition. Many patients suffer from swallowing difficulties after being treated for head or neck cancer, and swallowing disorders are also common in older adults, yet effective therapies have been limited. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-swallowing-nanogel-tweak-therapeutic-stem.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:20:04 EDT news692447342 An international team has described Foskeia pelendonum, a tiny Early Cretaceous ornithopod from Vegagete (Burgos, Spain), measuring barely half a meter long. Led by Paul-Emile Dieudonné (National University of Río Negro, Argentina), the study reveals an unexpectedly derived skull and positions Foskeia near the origin of the European herbivorous lineage Rhabdodontidae. The study is published in Papers in Palaeontology. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tiny-dinosaur-foskeia-pelendonum-evolutionary.html Evolution Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:10:01 EST news688994341 For decades, scientists have been counting annual growth rings—similar to tree rings—inside fossilized leg bones of Tyrannosaurus rex to estimate how old the giant carnivores were when they died and how quickly they grew to adulthood. The best estimates from previous studies were that T. rex typically stopped growing at around age 25. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-rex-grew-slowly-reveals-king.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 14 Jan 2026 07:00:03 EST news687517769 The mystery surrounding dozens of small dinosaur fossils has finally been solved. Remains previously thought to belong to miniature armored dinosaurs are actually baby ankylosaurs, offering scientists new insight into how these remarkable dinosaurs developed. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-armored-dinosaur-hatchling-china.html Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:22:13 EST news685023721 For decades, paleontologists argued over the lone skull used to establish the distinct species Nanotyrannus. Was it truly a separate species or simply a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex? A new paper published in Science has definitively shown that Nanotyrannus is, in fact, nearly fully grown and not an immature T. rex, at the same time revealing new insights into how these giant predators achieved such terrifying sizes so quickly. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-nanotyrannus-juvenile-rex.html Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:00:01 EST news683997790 For over 200 years, native oysters (Ostrea edulis) have been absent in Dublin Bay. Once abundant along the Irish coast, they thrived in the sheltered estuaries and tidal flats that shaped the city's maritime life. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-thousands-oysters-dublin-bay-nature.html Ecology Sat, 22 Nov 2025 16:40:01 EST news682951072 A research team has analyzed bone tissues of the Japanese endemic Amami rabbit, a nationally designated Special Natural Monument. The study revealed for the first time that this species grows at an exceptionally slow pace, taking about five times longer to mature compared to closely related rabbit species. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-amami-rabbits-exceptionally-delayed-maturity.html Plants & Animals Mon, 27 Oct 2025 12:33:03 EDT news680787181 Argentinian researchers have described a Carnian theropod with features previously thought to belong only to much later neotheropods, indicating greater early dinosaur diversity than expected as well as a possible climate-related ebb and return of dinosaur abundance in northwestern Argentina. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-early-dawn-dinosaur-evolution.html Evolution Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:00:01 EDT news680433581 Researchers have developed a novel application of histological staining to screen for ancient proteins in situ—within the fossil's microstructure—advancing the field of paleoproteomics by addressing long-standing challenges of contamination. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-visualizing-ancient-proteins-technique-reliably.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 20 Oct 2025 14:20:04 EDT news680188801 Four-limbed vertebrates, known as tetrapods, have two enlarged areas in their spinal cords. The two enlargements have a correlation with the forelimbs and hind limbs, respectively. These enlargements are thought to be caused by the complex muscular system and the rich sensory networks supplying nerves to the limbs. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-enlarged-areas-spinal-cord-fish.html Plants & Animals Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:29:03 EDT news679058941 The pelvis is often called the keystone of upright locomotion. More than any other part of our lower body, it has been radically altered over millions of years to allow us to accomplish our bizarre habit of walking on two legs. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-evolutionary-makeover-big-evolution-human.html Evolution Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:00:02 EDT news675353821 Sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus) have been slowly disappearing from ocean floors over the last few decades, mostly due to overfishing for food and medicinal purposes. Despite their name, sea cucumbers are aquatic animals that have been shown to have a positive impact on coral in the ocean, as they reduce detrimental sediment while feeding on nearby bacteria and microalgae. To combat their decreasing natural populations, sea cucumbers are now often cultivated and farmed in a controlled commercial setting. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-vitamin-significantly-immune-function-sea.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:20:01 EDT news674133295 An international team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Vanderbilt University, and Delft University of Technology has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) method that virtually stains images generated through imaging mass spectrometry (IMS). The research is published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-deep-advances-imaging-mass-spectrometry.html Biochemistry Mon, 04 Aug 2025 09:17:04 EDT news673517822 Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital designed an ingestible capsule that delivers liquid mRNA to the intestines, producing gene expression and reducing inflammation in rats. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-mrna-pill-bypasses-gut-therapy.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:00:02 EDT news672915044 Five women scientists from Germany, Indonesia, and Wales have discovered two new species of wart sea slugs from North Sulawesi, Indonesia—Phyllidia ovata and Phyllidia fontjei. The discovery has been published in the journal ZooKeys. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-species-wart-sea-slugs-north.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:30:02 EDT news671793147 Researchers have discovered that the genes related to extracellular matrix (ECM) and the Wnt signaling pathway characterize the independently acquired lip hypertrophy in cichlids of the East African Great Lakes. Through advanced omics-based experiments and comparative histological analyses, they found that hypertrophied lips of cichlids had a larger proteoglycan-rich layer. This study provides vital insights into the evolutionary biology of lip hypertrophy in cichlids of the East African Great Lakes. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-decoding-molecular-commonality-underlying-lip.html Plants & Animals Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:33:53 EDT news669911626 Capstan Therapeutics scientists demonstrate that lipid nanoparticles can engineer CAR T cells within the body without laboratory cell manufacturing and ex vivo expansion. The method using targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs) is designed to deliver messenger RNA specifically to CD8+ T cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-lipid-nanoparticles-car-cells-vivo.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:10:04 EDT news669891654 The dinosaur that welcomes visitors to the Natural History Museum harbors a fascinating history. Researchers have identified a severe bone infection in the dinosaur, which lived around 220 million years ago in Switzerland and met a sticky end in the mud. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-oldest-dinosaur-bone-infection-million.html Biotechnology Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:21:04 EDT news669291662 Researchers have found evidence of a previously unrecognized soft tissue structure in the cheek region of many dinosaur species, which they've called the "exoparia." The finding deepens our understanding of dinosaur anatomy and highlights the limitations of current methods of reconstructing parts of dinosaur anatomy that can't be well preserved. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-cheeky-discovery-scientists-previously-unknown.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 27 May 2025 10:07:04 EDT news667559222