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. Alzheimer's disease affects millions of people around the world. To study this condition, researchers must peer inside the distinctive environment of the human brain. but for scientists to get the most accurate picture of the proteins that drive this disease, they must extract them without altering their environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-accurate-method-proteins-alzheimer-disease.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:50:01 EDT news692522559 As organisms develop from embryos, groups of cells migrate and reshape themselves to form all manner of complex tissues. There are no anatomical molds shaped like lungs, livers or other tissues for cells to grow into. Rather, these structures form through the coordinated activity of different types of cells as they move and multiply. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-spheroid-geometry-multicellular-orbiting-invasion.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:35:27 EST news688667701 Lignin is one of the most abundant aromatic polymers on Earth and has long been recognized as a promising biomass resource. However, due to its complex and heterogeneous structure and resistance to degradation, its utilization has largely been limited to combustion for energy. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-luminescent-biomaterials-wood.html Polymers Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:03:02 EDT news680342581 Researchers from the Skoltech Engineering Center's Hierarchically Structured Materials Laboratory, in collaboration with colleagues from MISIS University and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, have for the first time observed nanoscale transformations in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene—a material possessing a shape memory effect—in real time. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-scientists-memory-smart-plastic.html Nanophysics Wed, 01 Oct 2025 09:18:03 EDT news678529081 From medicine to electronics and optics, new materials developed by scientists at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) can be applied in various fields where cleanliness, precision, and durability are essential. They stand out not only for their functionality but also for their sustainability: they are made from renewable raw materials, and no solvents are used during production. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-sustainable-polymers-antimicrobial-action-3d.html Biochemistry Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:46:03 EDT news676032361 When your favorite dress or shirt shrinks in the wash, it can be devastating, especially if you followed the instructions closely. Unfortunately, some fabrics just seem to be more prone to shrinking than others—but why? https://phys.org/news/2025-08-textile-scientist-unshrink.html Materials Science Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:00:01 EDT news673615885 A multinational research team, including engineers from the University of Cambridge and Zhejiang University, has developed a breakthrough in miniaturized spectrometer technology that could dramatically expand the accessibility and functionality of spectral imaging in everyday devices. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-plastic-based-spectrometers-compact-solution.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 11 Jul 2025 09:15:51 EDT news671444135 Prions, mysterious shape-shifting proteins, can lead to brain disorders such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, "mad cow disease" in cattle, yet they can also play essential roles in yeast survival and long-term memory formation in mice. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-mechanical-reveals-prions-trigger-domino.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:22:03 EDT news668186519 Chronic stress can lead to increased blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, decreased immune function, depression, and anxiety. Unfortunately, the tools we use to monitor stress are often imprecise or expensive, relying on self-reporting questionnaires and psychiatric evaluations. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-dental-floss-stress.html Biochemistry Mon, 26 May 2025 08:49:50 EDT news667468185 Plastics, which are polymeric materials composed of long chains of small molecules called monomers, are widely used in everyday life and industry due to their lightweight, good strength and flexibility. However, with approximately 52 million tons of plastic waste generated annually, plastic pollution has become a major environmental concern. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-sustainable-smart-polymers.html Polymers Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:57:04 EST news660484622 Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP have developed a foil that changes into polyurethane foam (PU foam) when heated—entirely without health risks. The foil allows for isocyanate-free foaming, thus improving workplace safety. Additionally, it offers logistics advantages for storage and transportation. The material can be customized for various applications ranging from the automotive and construction industries to packaging. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-polyurethane-memory-foil-foam.html Polymers Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:16:04 EST news659276162 In a remarkable feat of chemistry, a Northwestern University-led research team has developed the first two-dimensional (2D) mechanically interlocked material. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-chainmail-material-future-armor.html Nanomaterials Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:00:07 EST news656241542 Soft polymers with the combined properties of electrolytes and traditional polymers offer some unique and desirable properties that can be drastically changed on demand. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-materials-scientists-road-responsive-gels.html Polymers Thu, 22 Aug 2024 11:19:05 EDT news643544342 Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a smart, reusable adhesive more than 10 times stronger than a gecko's feet adhesion, pointing the way for development of reusable superglue and grippers capable of holding heavy weights across rough and smooth surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-strong-reusable-adhesive-smart.html Polymers Mon, 29 Apr 2024 14:53:04 EDT news633621181 Molecular computer components could represent a new IT revolution and help us create cheaper, faster, smaller, and more powerful computers. Yet researchers struggle to find ways to assemble them more reliably and efficiently. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-combines-dna-origami-photolithography-closer.html Nanomaterials Wed, 24 Apr 2024 11:49:04 EDT news633178141 One of the primary goals in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is the development of artificial scaffolds that can serve as substitutes for damaged tissue. These materials must ideally resemble natural tissue and must have the ability to support cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-advancing-tissue-memory-hydrogels.html Polymers Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:36:43 EDT news629545000 One of the most significant constraints on the size of objects placed into orbit is the size of the fairing used to put them there. Large telescopes must be stuffed into a relatively small fairing housing and deployed to their full size, sometimes using complicated processes. But even with those processes, there is still an upper limit to how giant a telescope can be. That might be changing soon, with the advent of smart materials—particularly on a project funded by NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) that would allow for a kilometer-scale radio telescope in space. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-smart-materials-deploy-dark-age.html Astronomy Wed, 27 Dec 2023 15:40:01 EST news622912160 Shape-memory polymers or shape-shifting materials are smart materials that have gained significant attention within materials science and biomedical engineering in recent years to build smart structures and devices. Digital light processing is a vat photopolymerization–based method with significantly faster technology to print a complete layer in a single step to create smart materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-swift-d-shape-memory-polymers.html Polymers Fri, 22 Dec 2023 09:19:20 EST news622458888 Every cell in the human body contains the same genetic instructions, encoded in its DNA. However, out of about 30,000 genes, each cell expresses only those genes that it needs to become a nerve cell, immune cell, or any of the other hundreds of cell types in the body. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-3d-genome-theoretical-cell-identity.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 Nov 2023 14:00:02 EST news619347627 We often crumple a scrap piece of paper into a ball before throwing it. This mundane action, however, creates a unique complex system with surprising mechanical properties. Take a thin plastic sheet such as cellophane and try it yourself. While a regular flat sheet will simply bend under the influence of gravity, a crumpled sheet is stiffer and can hold its own weight. It also has shape memory—it has many stable configurations and thus will tend to keep the shape it is deformed to. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-crumpled-sheets-reveal-mechanism-glassy.html General Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 10:52:30 EST news618663147 Have you ever imaged high-resolution 3D structures at the micro/nanoscale that react dynamically to their surroundings? The 4D printing technology is changing the game by using smart materials that exhibit remarkable shape deformation in response to external stimuli, showing the enormous potential for use in biomedicine, flexible electronics, soft robotics, and aerospace. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-micronanoscale-4d-revolution-high-resolution-3d.html Nanophysics Wed, 11 Oct 2023 13:31:03 EDT news616249861 Whether you are familiar with the term "Magnus effect" or not, you have certainly seen it in action. It is when a spinning ball—for instance in football, cricket or baseball—bends away from its expected trajectory, often to the surprise of the opposing team. The principle also has engineering uses, for example to propel certain types of ships or aircraft using a "Flettner rotor." https://phys.org/news/2023-09-memory-induced-magnus-effect-unexpected-curveball.html General Physics Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:58:54 EDT news614951931 Researchers from Japan have unlocked the potential of tannic acid and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene oxide by using them to synthesize strong and smart supramolecular gels in a zero-waste process. These gels exhibit remarkable characteristics, such as high elongation, strong adhesion, resistance to swelling, shape memory, self-healing property, and biocompatibility. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-zero-waste-synthesis-supramolecular-materials-remarkable.html Polymers Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:39:50 EDT news614338787 Scientists aren't entirely sure how life began on Earth, but one prevailing theory posits that persistent cycles of wet and dry conditions on land helped assemble the complex chemical building blocks necessary for microbial life. This is why a patchwork of well-preserved ancient mud cracks found by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is so exciting to the mission's team. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-seasonal-climate-patterns-early-mars.html Planetary Sciences Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:04:38 EDT news610805073 In the age of COVID-19, the word "virus" stirs up thoughts of contagion, sickness, and even death. But what if there were a virus—a very tiny virus capable of replicating itself hundreds of times every half hour—that could cure a severe bacterial infection resistant to all known antibiotics? It is this hope that motivates Bil Clemons, the Arthur and Marian Hanisch Memorial Professor of Biochemistry, to research the virus named φX174. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-phage-x174-mechanism.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 13 Jul 2023 15:21:05 EDT news608480462 A new smart material developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo is activated by both heat and electricity, making it the first ever to respond to two different stimuli. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-programmable-smart-fabric-temperature-electricity.html Nanomaterials Mon, 24 Apr 2023 02:18:59 EDT news601521532 The elastocaloric effect is a phenomenon where a material displays a temperature change when it is exposed to a mechanical stress. The change in temperature occurs due to an entropy difference resulting from a martensitic transformation accompanied by material's crystal structure change under stress. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-durable-copper-aluminum-zinc-memory-alloys-energy-efficient.html General Physics Thu, 20 Apr 2023 14:48:03 EDT news601220881 Integrative actuators and sensors within a single active device offer compelling capabilities for developing robotics, prosthetic limbs, and minimally invasive surgical tools. But instrumenting these devices at the microscale is constrained by current manufacturing technologies. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-complex-biological-smart-fibers.html Biochemistry Thu, 09 Feb 2023 10:17:10 EST news595160227 Optical indicators based colored polymers are autonomous responsive labels that provide an optical signal to represent a specific exposure over time. Polymers that possess a high degree of order can establish structural color, which originates from the interaction of light with a periodic nanostructure, causing a specific wavelength to be reflected. These optical properties can be used for the fabrication of battery-free indicators that show color changes upon exposure to a stimulus. https://phys.org/news/2022-10-optical-indicators-based-cholesteric-liquid.html Polymers Mon, 24 Oct 2022 13:28:02 EDT news585836881 Three scientists were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for developing a way of "snapping molecules together" that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely. https://phys.org/news/2022-10-nobel-prize-chemists-molecules-click.html Materials Science Wed, 05 Oct 2022 06:54:56 EDT news584171690