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. IMDEA Materials Institute has developed mechanically tunable hydrogel membranes that closely mimic the mechanical environment of human skin while remaining highly biocompatible, representing an improved platform for skin tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-chitosan-based-hydrogel-membranes-transparent.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:00:08 EDT news703147866 An international team of scientists, led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has discovered a new method that could speed up the healing of chronic wounds infected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-neutralizing-extracellular-electron-antibiotic-resistant.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:00:02 EST news687719281 A by-product of rice bran oil production has long been recognized as a source of beneficial lipids for skin health and nutrition. Now, researchers have uncovered an entirely new class of skin-active molecules hidden within this agricultural residue. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-skin-boosting-lipids-revealed-rice.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:39:20 EST news687631142 Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising frontiers in modern biology. These nano-sized messengers mediate communication between cells, tissues, and organs, influencing processes from immune signaling to cancer progression. Their growing diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic relevance has accelerated research worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-hydrogel-platform-enables-high-throughput.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:57:29 EST news684075422 A research team from the Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, Okayama University of Science, has made a discovery: bitter taste receptors are present inside cancer cells and play a crucial role in pumping anticancer drugs out of the cell—ultimately contributing to the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). https://phys.org/news/2025-11-discovery-bitter-receptors-cancer-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 04 Nov 2025 11:18:03 EST news681477481 Plastic is ubiquitous in the modern world, and it's notorious for taking a long time to completely break down in the environment—if it ever does. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-chemicals-hitching-nanoplastics-skin.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:24:04 EDT news679911841 The sugar glucose, which is the main source of energy in almost every living cell, has been revealed in a Stanford Medicine study to also be a master regulator of tissue differentiation—the process by which stem cells give rise to specialized cells that make up all the body's tissues. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-glucose-life-reveals-role-master.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 26 Mar 2025 12:02:00 EDT news662209316 Researchers from Okayama University of Science have identified bitter taste receptors in keratinocytes (skin cells). Previously thought to exist only on the tongue, these receptors detect and expel harmful substances from the skin, serving as a crucial protective mechanism. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-bitter-receptors-skin-cells-function.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:44:13 EST news659709850 Ebola is a deadly hemorrhagic disease caused by a virus that is endemic in parts of East-Central and West Africa. Most people are aware that a primary route for person-to-person transmission is through contact with bodily fluids from an infected person. But more recent outbreaks, including the 2013–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, demonstrated that infectious Ebola virus (EBOV) is also found on the skin's surface of those who have succumbed to infection or at late times during infection. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-ebola-route-skin-surface.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 01 Jan 2025 14:00:01 EST news654843244 Sweat glands are vital for regulating body temperature, maintaining fluid balance, and supporting skin health. Yet, extensive skin injuries, such as burns, often result in the loss of these glands, leaving patients vulnerable to overheating, dehydration, and other severe complications. Sweat gland regeneration has remained a major medical challenge—until now. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-genetic-reprogramming-method-gland-function.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 22 Nov 2024 13:59:03 EST news651506341 The mechanisms underlying skin renewal are still poorly understood. Interleukin-38 (IL-38), a protein involved in regulating inflammatory responses, could be a game changer. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-unexpected-mechanism-alternative-animal-exploring.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:55:04 EST news651164101 A new study from Karolinska Institutet and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has identified an RNA molecule that is important for skin wound healing. The research, published in Nature Communications, may have implications for the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-key-molecule-wound-coding-rna.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 08 Oct 2024 13:13:18 EDT news647611991 In a significant breakthrough for the cosmetics industry, researchers have developed a new type of sunscreen using lignin, a naturally abundant polymer, and titanium dioxide (TiO2). The study, led by Yarong Li and Zhiguang Tang, was published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts and details the innovative use of a dual-modified lignin sub-microsphere to enhance the SPF and improve the color of sunscreens. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-lignin-based-sunscreen-natural-high.html Polymers Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:09:39 EDT news646585773 Scientists at the Institute of Aquaculture are central to a study that could hold the key to improving Atlantic salmon's resistance to sea lice. The parasites—which feed on the fish's skin and fins, causing open wounds that can lead to infection—reduce the market value of farmed fish and can have knock-on impacts on wild salmon populations. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-skin-cell-discovery-atlantic-salmon.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:29:20 EDT news642936557 Fingerprints are one of the best-recognized examples of pattern formation by epithelial cells. The primary cells in the epithelium are the keratinocytes, and they are known to form patterns at the microscopic and macroscopic levels. While factors affecting this pattern formation have been reported, the exact mechanisms underlying the process are still not fully understood. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-starvation-adhesion-formation-keratinocyte-patterns.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 13 Aug 2024 09:59:03 EDT news642761941 An invasive fungus that colonizes the skin of hibernating bats with deadly consequences is a stealthy invader that uses multiple strategies to slip into the small mammals' skin cells and quietly manipulate them to aid its own survival. The fungus, which causes the disease white-nose syndrome, has devastated several North American species over the last 18 years. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-stealth-fungus-decimated-north-american.html Plants & Animals Thu, 11 Jul 2024 17:07:04 EDT news639936421 The Smart Materials research group, coordinated by Athanassia Athanassiou at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology), has developed a biocompatible bandage made of plant-based materials that, loaded with vitamin C, can accelerate the healing process of burn wounds. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-scientists-environmentally-friendly-based-bandage.html Biochemistry Fri, 03 May 2024 13:39:22 EDT news633962355 Cancer-causing flame retardants found in everyday things like plastics, furniture, fabrics and electronics can be sucked up by the skin and absorbed into the bloodstream in 24 hours, scientists have found. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-toxic-fireproof-chemicals-absorbed-3d.html Environment Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:09:04 EDT news632671741 Research conducted by Dr. Shota Nakanoh in a collaboration between Dr. Teresa Rayon's lab at the Institute and Professor Ludovic Vallier's lab at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute has determined that the degree of cell crowding in the early human embryo influences whether cells develop as extra-embryonic cells or become a part of the embryo and eventually give rise to skin, hair and nails. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-degree-cell-crowding-early-human.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:12:54 EST news628787571 Reproducible in-vitro canine skin has been grown in a laboratory setting for the first time by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-lab-grown-canine-skin-canvas.html Biotechnology Thu, 01 Feb 2024 14:34:03 EST news626020441 Researchers have used new imaging techniques to explore the function and structures of the neuro-cutaneous unit, which is the connection between the nervous system and the skin. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-ensheathed-nerve-fibers-human-skin.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 16 Jan 2024 10:42:42 EST news624624158 Scientists have made significant progress in understanding the signals involved in regulating oral keratinocyte cell motility and proliferative capacity, offering new insights into potential pharmacological manipulation for regenerative medicine. A recent study, published in FEBS Open Bio, explains the role of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its downstream signaling cascade in controlling the behavior of oral keratinocytes. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-revolutionizing-regenerative-medicine-power-oral.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 30 Jun 2023 11:06:44 EDT news607341996 Bioengineers and tissue engineers intend to reconstruct skin equivalents with physiologically relevant cellular and matrix architectures for basic research and industrial applications. Skin pathophysiology depends on skin-nerve crosstalk and researchers must therefore develop reliable models of skin in the lab to assess selective communications between epidermal keratinocytes and sensory neurons. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-skin-on-a-chip-innervated-epidermal-like-layer-microfluidic.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 28 Mar 2023 09:40:55 EDT news599215251 Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine, Solna, have identified HOXC13-AS, a human skin-specific long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), that plays a crucial role in epidermal differentiation. Their study highlighting lncRNA's physiological importance in the epidermal barrier's maintenance and reconstruction is published in the journal Cell Death & Differentiation. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-human-specific-mechanism-skin-barrier-regeneration.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:31:03 EDT news598714261 The ultraviolet nail polish drying devices used to cure gel manicures may pose more of a public health concern than previously thought. Researchers at the University of California San Diego have studied these ultraviolet (UV) light emitting devices, and found that their use leads to cell death and cancer-causing mutations in human cells. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-uv-emitting-dryers-dna-mutations-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:57:04 EST news593197021 A team of researchers from Singapore has reported the development of a skin-mimicking scaffold by parallelly aligning nanofibers made up of a mixture of polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin that enhances wound healing. Their research has recently been published in Advanced Fiber Materials. https://phys.org/news/2022-11-parallel-alignment-fibers-wound.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 04 Nov 2022 13:45:03 EDT news586788301 The Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering (ICRME) at Indiana University School of Medicine is home to tissue nanotransfection (TNT) regenerative medicine technology that achieves functional tissue reprogramming in the live body. Last year, ICRME researchers published on how to manufacture the TNT 2.0 silicon chip hardware in Nature Protocol. Now, their research demonstrates for the first time that TNT can serve as a non-viral, topical gene-editing delivery device. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-tissue-nanotransfection-technology-non-viral-topical.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 18 Jul 2022 14:42:03 EDT news577374121 A new research paper published in Aging Volume 14, Issue 9, is titled "Single-cell transcriptomics reveals age-resistant maintenance of cell identities, stem cell compartments and differentiation trajectories in long-lived naked mole-rats skin." https://phys.org/news/2022-05-glean-insights-skin-aging-naked.html Plants & Animals Tue, 17 May 2022 16:52:04 EDT news572025121 Researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and other entities have designed a new biochip, a device that simplifies the process of manufacturing in vitro skin in the laboratory and other complex multi-layer tissues. Human skin modeled using this device could be used in medicine and cosmetic testing, which would reduce the cost of these preclinical trials. https://phys.org/news/2022-01-biochip-vitro-skin.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 12 Jan 2022 09:38:12 EST news561202690 In the fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria, scientists in Sweden have developed a new kind of antibiotic-free protection for wounds that kills drug-resistant bacteria and induces the body's own immune responses to fight infections. https://phys.org/news/2021-10-gel-drug-resistant-bacteria-body-natural.html Biochemistry Thu, 14 Oct 2021 10:52:08 EDT news553427523