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. In the aftermath of suspected chemical attacks, investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) step in to collect chemical, environmental, and biomedical samples. Thorough forensic laboratory analysis of these samples is essential for proving what—if any—chemical agents were used and verifying their identities. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-capability-chemical-weapons-involves-methods.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:10:06 EDT news699726181 Food waste is a nagging problem that weighs heavily on global food production, distribution and sales industries—but an emerging generation of AI sensors is providing a raft of fresh solutions. The embrace of AI in food industries has been swift, which is why Flinders University researchers have worked with an international research team to build the first comprehensive overview of AI technologies involved in the food industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-food-industries-embrace-ai-sensors.html Biotechnology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:08 EDT news699699989 A new investigation from the University of Kansas improves detection of PFAS, a family of so-called "forever chemicals" in drinking water supplies. The method, which can measure trace pollution levels of PFAS in water more quickly and inexpensively than current techniques, was recently detailed in the journal PLOS Water. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-faster-pfas-reshape.html Environment Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:30:01 EDT news699637142 Bats are the only mammals that can actively fly, enabling many species to perform seasonal migrations. In migratory birds, remaining airborne for many hours is supported by burning fatty acids, something most mammals are incapable of. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-distance-migration-fatty-acids-limits.html Plants & Animals Wed, 27 May 2026 16:00:06 EDT news699112022 Every bumble bee colony has a queen, but a new study led by researchers at Penn State suggests the process of determining which baby bee reigns supreme may be less monarchal than the royal title suggests. The study, published in the journal Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, explored why some bumble bee larvae become workers and others become queens, despite coming from the same eggs. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-worker-bumble-bees-baby-bee.html Ecology Mon, 18 May 2026 15:40:01 EDT news698324655 Pet owners love their dogs but may not always love the smell of their breath. Because this bad odor can signal oral disease, veterinary clinics will prescribe daily toothbrushing, antibiotics, or chemical rinses as treatment. Now, researchers reporting in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry propose an alternative: polyphenols from molasses. They developed a spray that reduced stinky breath and harmful oral bacteria in dogs. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-smelly-dog-breakthrough-based-spray.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 18 May 2026 11:00:15 EDT news698318761 Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a method to convert a commonly discarded hydrocarbon polymer into gasoline- and diesel-like fuels. The team has applied for a patent for the discovery, which treats polyethylene—the stuff of white cutting boards and shopping bags—with aluminum chloride-containing molten salts that serve as both solvent and catalyst. The results are published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-plastic-bags-gasoline-molten-salts.html Materials Science Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:40:01 EDT news694944021 Plastic, once ingenious for its durability and versatility, has become a global environmental issue that is affecting every aspect of life. This, in turn, is fueling the development of degradable polymers as alternative solutions. Among contending the possibilities are poly(disulfide)s, which have garnered attention as redox-degradable polymers with various polymerization techniques that can break down in reductive environments, such as the seafloor. However, according to the specific objective, it is necessary to design and synthesize each monomer to control polymer properties and impart functionality. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-domino-polymerization-route-versatile-degradable.html Polymers Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:20:01 EDT news694430161 As part of the FED-tWIN Face-to-Face project, a multidisciplinary team bringing together the European Centre of Archaeometry (University of Liège, ULiège), the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB), CNRS-Sorbonne University and Ca' Foscari University of Venice has published a study on the conservation condition of "The Temptation of St Anthony" (1946) by Salvador Dalí, a major work held by the RMFAB since 1965. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dal-sublime-amber-medium-unusual.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:00:01 EDT news694362661 Like the males of many animal species, male Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, a commonly studied lab animal, are aggressive toward one another and even fight when competing for resources such as food and females. Researchers in the lab of David Anderson have been studying aggression in these insects for decades, elucidating the neural basis for heightened aggression in males, among other discoveries. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-courting-competition-male-fruit-flies.html Plants & Animals Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:20:01 EDT news693226321 A first-of-its-kind University of Stirling study could better inform strategies to control salmon lice, after researchers uncovered major differences in the secretions the parasite produces as larvae. Like other parasites, such as mosquitoes and ticks, salmon lice secrete substances from their glands which make it easier for them to feed or evade their host's immune system. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-salmon-louse-larvae-parasite-strategies.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:20:04 EDT news693054361 Although plastic particles in the air are increasingly coming into focus, knowledge about their distribution and effects is still limited. Chemical analyses from Leipzig now provide details from Germany for the first time: Around 4% of the particulate matter consists of plastic. Around two-thirds of this comes from tire abrasion. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-microplastics-nanoplastics-urban-air-abrasion.html Environment Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:20:02 EST news691686310 In a recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Wanyue Zhao and her colleagues used volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to analyze the composition of scents given off by mummies and their embalming materials. The results showed differences in embalming methods across different time periods and could even distinguish between different body parts. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-scent-analysis-reveals-composition-ancient.html Archaeology Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:40:01 EST news689599767 What do microplastics, water color, and satellites have in common? Dr. Karl Kaiser, professor of marine and coastal environmental science in the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies at Texas A&M University at Galveston is exploring an innovative idea: using satellites to spot microplastics in the ocean. How? By studying how tiny plastic particles change the way light reflects off the water—and how that changes the color we see from space. If this connection works, it could give scientists a powerful new tool to track microplastic pollution across the globe without ever leaving orbit. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sea-space-tide-microplastic-pollution.html Environment Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:20:07 EST news689432288 Plants are a rich and renewable source of compounds used in medicines, food ingredients, and cosmetics. Since growing an entire plant just to extract a few specific compounds is rather inefficient, scientists are turning to plant cell cultures as a more sustainable alternative. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-friendly-bacteria-hidden-metabolic-pathways.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:00:02 EST news689425721 When some ancient Romans were feeling a little under the weather, they were treated with human feces. While this practice was mentioned in ancient Greco-Roman medical texts by figures such as Pliny the Elder, there was no direct physical evidence that these remedies were actually used. However, recent chemical analysis of a Roman-era glass medicinal vial, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, provides the first molecular proof of this kind of treatment. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-poop-medicine-roman-vial-chemistry.html Archaeology Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:50:01 EST news689420408 Many people are familiar with histamine, a biological molecule that serves as a key driver of allergic reactions and other immune responses. However, histamine is also a major neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, regulating essential cognitive functions like wakefulness, attention, and learning. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-exploring-mutations-spontaneously-key-brain.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:33:26 EST news687774781 Breweries typically monitor fermentation by analyzing broth composition. Alcohols, esters, acids and residual sugars are quantified via chromatography-based assays. While reliable, these tests are time-consuming and only yield batch-average results. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-beer-fermentation-cell-raman-method.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:00:07 EST news687693001 Most people have a preferred way of communication—phone, text, email—but bare-nosed wombats have an unusual way of relaying information. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-wombats-square-poop.html Plants & Animals Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:45:15 EST news685100702 A study has, for the first time, identified minute traces of broomcorn millet consumption directly from human dental calculus, offering an unprecedented window into medieval diets and expanding the toolkit available to archaeologists for reconstructing ancient foodways. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-biomolecular-technique-uncovers-millet-medieval.html Archaeology Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:10:21 EST news685037401 A study identifies the chemical compounds present in acorns, which could help determine which are best for consumption, thus boosting the consumption of an underutilized and undervalued food. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-nutritional-properties-acorns.html Agriculture Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:34:12 EST news684693241 Scientists used a 3D-printing approach to pattern hydrophobic barriers inside hydrophilic filter paper. These barriers, designed in different geometries, guide liquids along precise paths and shape their flow behavior, demonstrating effective use in mixing, gradient generation, and two-phase separation within miniaturized systems. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-everyday-filter-paper-miniature-microfluidic.html Polymers Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:44:19 EST news684603841 A new analysis of the Hjortspring boat, an ancient wooden plank boat now on display in the National Museum of Denmark, has yielded clues to its potential origin—which has long been considered a mystery, according to a study published in PLOS One by Mikael Fauvelle from Lund University, Sweden, and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-hjortspring-boat-partial-fingerprint-ancient.html Archaeology Wed, 10 Dec 2025 14:00:10 EST news684579993 In 2023, Canada's worst wildfire season on record produced so much smoke that it spilled across national borders into the United States. At times, a thick haze enveloped much of the U.S. East Coast and triggered "Code Purple" and "Code Maroon" alerts—the most hazardous air quality warning categories—in the Washington, D.C. region. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-chemical-canadian-wildfires-maryland-months.html Environment Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:26:58 EST news684509178 Nitrogen is a crucial component of proteins and nucleic acids, the fundamental building blocks of all living things, and thus is essential to life on Earth. Gaseous N2 from the atmosphere can be fixed by soil bacteria capable of converting N2 to ammonia or nitrates (NO3). https://phys.org/news/2025-12-chance-discovery-toxic-nitric-oxide.html Biochemistry Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:42:18 EST news683908921 A machine learning framework can distinguish molecules made by biological processes from those formed through non-biological processes and could be used to analyze samples returned by current and future planetary missions. The findings are published in the journal PNAS Nexus. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-machine-framework-scan-extraterrestrial-life.html Astrobiology Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:54:32 EST news682682069 A "robust, reliable and highly sensitive" tool that quickly and reliably identifies rogue ingredients, even in processed and cooked foods, has been developed by University of Aberdeen scientists. The work is published in the journal Food Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-food-fraud-breakthrough-speedily-rogue.html Biotechnology Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:39:04 EST news681475142 A single "sexy" gene could help us combat one of the world's most destructive fruit pests. By deleting the gene that lets female moths produce their mating scent, colleagues and I created an "unsexy" moth—and showed one way to turn insect attraction into a powerful pest control tool. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-moths-sex-key-greener-pest.html Plants & Animals Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:11:04 EDT news679745461 The solvent dichloromethane, or DCM, is commonly used to strip paint and cut grease. It's also what generations of chemistry students have used to dissolve pain reliever tablets in a lab exercise designed to teach them how to isolate compounds in a mixture. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-safer-solvent-chemistry-labs.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:14:04 EDT news679058041 They linger in our water, our blood, and the environment—"forever chemicals" that are notoriously difficult to detect. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-tiny-sensors-rapidly-chemicals.html Environment Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:50:05 EDT news678023401