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. Washington produces more blueberries than any other U.S. state, but farmers sometimes struggle to obtain honey bees to pollinate the plants and produce fruit. That's in part because beekeepers are reluctant to provide bees to blueberry farms, given that there have been increased—and mysterious—bee colony losses after blueberry pollination. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-supplement-honey-bee-declines-blueberry.html Ecology Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:50:01 EDT news712392162 Envision a material whose magnetic properties and electronic topology can be toggled by exposure to light, paving the way for future electronic devices that do not rely on traditional electrical switching, which wastes energy by producing heat. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-uncover-magnetism-topology-atomically.html Condensed Matter Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:40:06 EDT news712244365 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University have discovered that tiny structural defects can trigger the breakdown of microtubules, the microscopic structures that help cells maintain their shape, transport materials and divide. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-hidden-weaknesses-microtubules-stabilized.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:00:15 EDT news712330478 Researchers from Jülich, Aachen and Cologne have performed a quantum operation on a qubit in just 6.8 nanoseconds—with more than 99.98% accuracy. Such operations typically take several tens of nanoseconds in superconducting quantum computers. The paper was published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-gates-nanoseconds-accuracy.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:40:12 EDT news712317781 Adelaide University quantum engineers have found a new way to improve some of the world's most sensitive sensors of electromagnetic fields, a breakthrough that could help advance brain imaging, medical diagnostics, communications technology and next-generation quantum devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-sensor-loop-magnetic-medicine.html Superconductivity Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:40:06 EDT news712316102 A nano-wrinkled surface combined with a tiny soft actuator can break up infection-causing bacterial sheets, called biofilms, that form on medical implants, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study published in Advanced Functional Materials. When implanted in mice, the platform—called DARTS (dynamically actuated reconfigurable topographical surface)—reduced bacterial burden and improved the surrounding tissue response. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nano-wrinkles-actuation-infectious-biofilms.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:20:01 EDT news712310161 Advanced nanoscale imaging technology has revealed the diversity of living cells in human milk and uncovered new insights into how these cells are structured, what they contain and how they use nutrients. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-reveal-hidden-world-cells.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:06 EDT news712309321 Generating hydrogen without releasing carbon dioxide sounds simple: pass electricity through water, split water molecules and generate green hydrogen. The hard part is the electrocatalyst. The best ones rely on platinum, ruthenium and iridium, which are scarce and expensive. We wanted to know whether a small amount of iron and nickel oxides, anchored on carbon nanofibers grown by chemical vapor deposition the right way on the right scaffold, could do the job instead. Our results are published in ACS Applied Nano Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-fuel-nanomaterial-green-hydrogen.html Nanomaterials Mon, 26 Oct 2026 19:00:03 EDT news712234922 DNA-nano/microparticle motors are among the fastest artificial molecular motors reported to date, moving at approximately 30 nm per second. However, they are still slower than natural motor proteins (approximately 100–1,000 nm per second), and further improvements in design and performance are required. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-simulations-reveal-high-dna-particle.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 26 Oct 2026 16:20:01 EDT news712249621 Metallic materials used in extremely cold environments must maintain high strength, ductility and fracture toughness to support applications in aerospace, clean energy, superconducting systems and deep-space exploration. However, traditional alloys often suffer performance degradation at ultralow temperatures because of the long-standing trade-off between strength, ductility and toughness. Although metals may become stronger at lower temperatures, they can also become more brittle and prone to fracture. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoscale-alloy-redesign-tackles-cold.html Nanomaterials Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:00:02 EDT news711899145 A joint research team fabricated a two-dimensional structure that exhibits properties of both the honeycomb and Kagome lattices using organic molecules. They discovered that edge states specific to topological materials (states that exist only at the edges and are distinct from those in the interior) appear in this structure. The team included researchers from NIMS, Toyota Kosen (National Institute of Technology, Toyota College), Saga University, Nara Women's University, Kiel University (Germany) and other institutions. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-supramolecular-route-quantum-materials.html Nanophysics Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:00:20 EDT news711903242 Scientists have long been interested in cellular nanodiscs, tiny particles made from natural cell membranes that mimic many of the functions of living cells. While previous studies demonstrated the therapeutic potential of nanodiscs for drug delivery, detoxification and vaccines, one fundamental question remained unanswered: How does size influence how well they work? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-supercomputer-reveals-size-future-nanomedicine.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:20:05 EDT news711718502 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University have developed a way to observe how antibodies interact with a cancer-related protein carried on tiny membrane-bound vesicles released by cells. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy, they found that measuring how much of the protein is present does not necessarily show how accessible it is to antibodies. The findings reported in the journal Small Methods provide a new way to investigate differences between individual cancer-derived vesicles although further research is needed before the approach can be used clinically. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-real-nanoscale-imaging-reveals-differences.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:02 EDT news711355812 Blood clots that develop after spinal surgery can lead to serious complications. When blood accumulates around the spinal cord, it may increase pressure on surrounding nerves, potentially causing severe pain, muscle weakness or even paralysis. Early detection and timely treatment are therefore essential. However, continuously monitoring these complications remains challenging, and conventional treatments may require additional surgery. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-smart-patch-blood-clots-spinal.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:20:18 EDT news711271273 The gut microbiome is teeming with hundreds of bacterial species and trillions of bacteria. These microorganisms influence many aspects of health, including digestion, and assist with numerous functions in the body. Gut bacteria compete for the limited nutrients available in their environment, while also interacting with each other in ways that can influence the stability of the microbial community. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-coli-eavesdrops-metabolic-gut-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:40:05 EDT news711208261 Energy production in our cells, oxygen traveling in our blood and immune cells fighting infection all depend on iron, an essential mineral that enters the food chain when plants absorb it from soil. But iron is often scarce—likely increasingly so as global weather and temperatures continue to change—and we aren't the only ones that need it. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-microbial-invasions-iron-protein.html Plants & Animals Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:01:05 EDT news711190801 For decades, physicists have sought a practical two-dimensional topological insulator: an ultrathin material whose interior blocks electricity but whose edges conduct it. In ordinary wires, electrons constantly bounce off imperfections, losing energy. But along the edges of a 2D topological insulator, electrons with opposite spins travel in opposite directions, like cars in one-way lanes, so they rarely scatter and lose energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-carpet-growth-method-yields-sought.html Condensed Matter Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:30:02 EDT news711128941 MIT engineers have developed a new way to program natural killer (NK) immune cells to target cancerous T cells or T cells that have become autoreactive, leading to diseases such as lymphoma and autoimmune hepatitis. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoparticle-reprograms-nk-immune-cells.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:20:16 EDT news711107494 A spinach leaf can turn light into chemical energy. A struggling heart cannot. Researchers in China have brought part of the leaf's energy-making machinery into rat heart cells to test whether borrowed photosynthesis could help an overworked heart. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-spinach-nanoparticles-rat-hearts-photosynthesis.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 11 Oct 2026 07:40:01 EDT news710599646 A novel nanovesicle-based platform developed at Institute of Science Tokyo can measure hydrostatic pressure by converting pressure-induced molecular changes into fluorescence signals. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-adjustable-nanosensors-pressure-fluorescent-stiffness.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:00:02 EDT news710771521 For highly fragile quantum information systems, the ability to store quantum information is vital—but also challenging. Quantum information is transported in particles of light called photons, which often must be temporarily paused (or "stored") while other, slower quantum operations catch up. This storage must be performed on microchips as small as 1 centimeter (0.4 inches)—a distance covered by light in a few trillionths of a second. Storing photons for a microsecond would represent a massive leap forward for the capabilities of quantum chips. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-chip-multiple-photons-path.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:00:10 EDT news710766541 Molecules can be placed in a wide variety of quantum states. How can these states be distinguished in measurements when theoretical models are unreliable? Which excitation process lies behind which measurement signal? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-individual-molecules.html Quantum Physics Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:50:02 EDT news710695502 What happens at the nanoscale when information is written to memory? Researchers at KAIST have shown how tiny regions with a new polarization direction form while previously formed regions continue to expand in a promising ferroelectric material. By linking these nanoscale changes to electrical measurements, the team developed a model that captures both processes, offering a basis for designing faster and more stable memory. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-written-ferroelectric-memory-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:40:10 EDT news710679781 Light sheet microscopy allows biologists to selectively light up a thin slice of a sample. This method can improve image contrast by reducing background light while remaining gentle on the sample, reducing photodamage and photobleaching. Rice University's Anna-Karin Gustavsson has published a method in Nano Letters that expands the use of light sheet microscopy to work with a single objective in commercially available sample chambers. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-3d-inserts-sheet-microscopy-commercial.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 08 Oct 2026 15:50:01 EDT news710692262 Nanobodies are extremely small antibody fragments that bind to specific molecules. When nanobodies are labeled with dyes, they can be used as probes to enhance super-resolution microscopy. However, conventional blinking dyes often perform poorly when attached to nanobodies, limiting their practical advantages. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) has now shown that self-blinking dyes—which can switch between bright and dark states on their own—bypass this limitation. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-dyes-nanoscale-imaging-sacrificing-precision.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:30:01 EDT news710609642 Farmers use a manufactured version of a natural plant hormone called gibberellic acid to improve the health and growth of crops, but it is highly sensitive to heat and light. A study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that loading gibberellic acid into biodegradable nanoparticles can improve grape yield and quality, making it a promising and environmentally friendly approach for sustainable agricultural production. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-biodegradable-nanoparticle-technology-agricultural-production.html Biotechnology Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:10:14 EDT news710494681 Creating a quantum device often begins by intentionally damaging a crystal. Scientists fire an ultrafast laser pulse into a material, knocking atoms out of place and leaving behind tiny imperfections called vacancies. Far from being flaws, these vacancies can behave as qubits—the fundamental building blocks of quantum information. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ray-technique-reveals-quantum-materials.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:20:08 EDT news710508661 We generally throw away a broken camera lens, earphones or an old phone that has stopped working and is beyond repair because they seem useless when they no longer function. However, these objects contain rare earth elements (REEs) that have applications in magnets, superconductivity, optics and batteries, among others. When these objects end up in water, recovering REEs becomes difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-approach-captures-toxic-metals-recovers.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:50:02 EDT news710511962 Contrast agents are compounds routinely used in clinical analysis to enhance differentiation between tissues or to increase the visibility of structures or fluids within the body, thus facilitating medical diagnosis. A study led by researcher Lucia Cardo and Ikerbasque research professor and AXA chair Maurizio Prato (both at CIC biomaGUNE) confirms that manganese-doped carbon nanodots could be the next generation of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-manganese-doped-carbon-nanodots-rival.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:40:11 EDT news710411041 When I explain topology to students, I start with a knot in a rope. You can stretch it, twist it or shake it, but the knot stays until you cut the rope. Physicists have found that some materials and devices carry similar "knots" in how waves move through them. These are topological properties, labeled by whole numbers that don't change under small imperfections. That robustness is why topology has become one of the central ideas in modern physics. It promises electronics, photonics and quantum devices that tolerate defects and noise. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-hidden-topology-energy-leaks.html Optics & Photonics Sat, 03 Oct 2026 13:40:01 EDT news710151198