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. A research team led by professor Qian Peiyuan, chair professor in the Department of Ocean Science at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with international partners, has made progress in uncovering how deep-sea chemosynthetic symbioses cope with environmental change. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-deep-sea-clams-adjust-bacterial.html Ecology Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:20:09 EDT news710593561 A University of Texas at Dallas scientist and her colleagues have discovered an unusual atomic pattern in a uranium-based material that gives it a rare combination of magnetic properties, a finding that could open new pathways for designing advanced electronic and computer memory devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-uranium-compound-1960s-reveals-hidden.html Condensed Matter Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:00:35 EDT news710524081 In a new Physical Review Letters study, researchers have demonstrated that bending diamond nanostructures can tune the light they emit without doping. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoribbons-tunes-diamond-emission-doping.html Nanophysics Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:20:06 EDT news709983577 The moon no longer has a global magnetic field, but lunar rocks and soils still contain records of ancient magnetism. Studying the magnetic minerals in these samples can help scientists understand how the moon's magnetic field evolved over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-scientists-lunar-magnetic-fossil-samples.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:40:10 EDT news709814101 Researchers have figured out a missing piece of the puzzle of how human cells detect invading viruses and mount an immune response within an hour. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cells-rapidly-viruses-fuse-membranes.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:20:13 EDT news709560601 For the first time, researchers have directly imaged the magnetization dynamics inside a spin Hall nano-oscillator—a nanoscale device that converts direct current into tunable microwave signals and is a promising building block for energy-efficient wireless communication and brain-inspired computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nano-oscillator-imaged.html Nanophysics Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:20:10 EDT news709380362 Beauty and mystery—it is hard to imagine a more alluring combination, and this is precisely what we encounter when we observe phenomena in the nanoworld. But are we really sure that observations made using modern microscopic techniques do not influence what is happening there? A comparison of images of copper oxide nanoparticles reacting with chloroauric acid, obtained using electron and photon beams, has yielded unexpected results. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-electron-photon-gold-reaction-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:30:01 EDT news708882841 The position of biomineralization peptides within liposomes can influence how gold nanoparticles grow, reports a research team from the Institute of Science Tokyo. Peptides localized at the membrane interface promote branched structures, while those confined to the liposome interior favor spherical nanoparticles. The findings offer a new strategy for controlling nanoscale reaction environments in nanoparticle synthesis. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-peptide-position-gold-nanoparticles-stay.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:00:04 EDT news708609646 Polar wurtzite nitride semiconductors, such as aluminum nitride (AlN) and gallium nitride (GaN), are central to modern high-power and high-frequency electronic devices because of their wide band gaps, high breakdown electric fields, and strong spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nitride-semiconductor-material-options-powerful.html Nanophysics Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:00:06 EDT news708006341 Researchers from Skoltech and their colleagues from Harbin Institute of Technology in China and ITMO University in Russia have devised a way to deposit elaborate geometric patterns of carbon nanotubes without wasting material. Such patterns are used in advanced optical devices and mechanical strain sensors for structural integrity monitoring. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-reusable-stencils-carbon-nanotube-patterns.html Nanophysics Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:20:01 EDT news706880285 Electron microscopes are used wherever particularly small details need to be imaged. But from a strictly physical point of view, every electron in a conventional electron microscope represents a missed opportunity: If all you do is count electrons, any additional quantum information they carry remains unused. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-quantum-microscope-significantly-electron-microscopy.html Quantum Physics Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news706276299 Quantum dots are semiconductor crystals only a few nanometers in size. Their ability to produce bright, precisely tunable colors has made them promising materials for light-emitting diodes, displays, solar cells and other optoelectronic technologies. Yet heat remains a major obstacle to their practical use. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-quantum-dots-dual-modification.html Nanophysics Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:20:01 EDT news706524781 A research team led by Yang Lu from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has uncovered the microscopic physical nature of ultralarge elasticity in covalent semiconductors such as silicon and diamond. The discovery provides quantitative guidance for deep elastic strain engineering (DESE), paving the way for the development of next-generation electronic, optoelectronic and quantum devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-silicon-diamond-extreme-reversible.html Condensed Matter Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:20:06 EDT news706448821 Bubbles are round, and we know surface tension does that. But squeeze that gas-liquid boundary into a space only a few tens of nanometers wide—could other forces be at work? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scientists-nanoscale-evidence-electric-fields.html Nanophysics Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:00:10 EDT news706272301 The energy system of the future will require sustainable catalysts that, for example, enable the efficient production of green hydrogen. Materials consisting of mixtures of five chemical elements show great promise for enabling ideal catalysts in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-randomly-atoms-rows-columns-sustainable.html Nanomaterials Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:00:05 EDT news704710261 Ethanol is an alcohol used in a vast number of industrial and household applications. When dehydrogenated—in this case, stripped of some of its hydrogen atoms—it yields another important compound: acetaldehyde, which is used to make resins, dyes, perfumes and synthetic flavors, among many other products. But currently available catalysts for ethanol dehydrogenation suffer from deactivation, poor performance over time and unwanted side reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-successful-sustainable-catalyst-ethanol-dehydrogenation.html Materials Science Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:40:01 EDT news704530201 Nitrate contamination originating from agricultural runoff, industrial wastewater and municipal effluents is a growing global environmental problem. At the same time, ammonia has emerged as a key chemical feedstock and an attractive carbon-free energy carrier for a sustainable society. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cuco-catalyst-nitrate-pollution-green.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:00:03 EDT news704467682 What happens inside a citrus tree long before leaves turn yellow, roots decline, and fruit quality suffers? Researchers from the University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center—Diann S. Achor, Camila Ribeiro, Jinyun Li and Nian Wang—have created a detailed microscopic atlas that provides one of the clearest pictures to date of how citrus huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease, develops over time and affects different parts of a tree. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-microscopic-atlas-reveals-citrus-huanglongbing.html Plants & Animals Mon, 27 Jul 2026 18:00:09 EDT news704380196 Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are used in everything from household lighting and mobile phones to large display screens. Improving their efficiency could reduce energy use and enhance performance across a wide range of technologies. A new study involving researchers from the University of Liverpool and the University of Strathclyde has demonstrated a powerful way to identify tiny crystal defects that can reduce the efficiency of LED materials. The advance could help scientists better understand how these defects form and ultimately support the development of more efficient electronic and optoelectronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-imaging-method-fresh-insight-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news702896148 Scientists discovered a protein secreted by a deep-sea extremophile—an organism adapted to extreme environmental conditions—that self-assembles into a biofilm and is highly stable, boosting its potential for biomedical applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-deep-sea-extremophile-yields-protein.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 29 Jun 2026 17:50:01 EDT news701968261 Scientists from the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester and Sun Yat-sen University have captured the growth of semiconducting tellurium nanostructures in liquid in real time, revealing how tiny seed particles form, grow into nanowires and compete for material as the structures develop. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-real-microscopy-reveals-semiconductor-nanowires.html Nanophysics Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:00:15 EDT news700900801 From paints and inks to catalysts and drug-delivery materials, many advanced technologies rely on substances dispersed in organic solvents. Yet directly observing these materials in their native liquid environments has remained a major challenge, limiting scientists' ability to understand how microscopic structures and elemental distributions influence performance. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cryo-electron-microscopy.html Materials Science Thu, 11 Jun 2026 21:40:04 EDT news700389686 Nearly 100 years ago, a seemingly simple discovery revolutionized the microscope. The introduction of phase contrast, which garnered a Nobel Prize in 1953, brought into clear view structures inside cells that had previously been too faint or washed out for biologists to study. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-physicists-phase-contrast-electron-microscopy.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:00:06 EDT news700394697 Many natural processes, ranging from magnetism to chemical reactions, entail the movement and rotation of particles at very small scales. In quantum mechanics, particles exhibit both particle-like and wave-like behaviors, and their states can be described mathematically using representations known as wavefunctions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-electron-gain-ultrafast-torque-flips.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:00:01 EDT news700225602 Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are among the most promising nanomaterials for future technologies because of their exceptional mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and thermal performance. However, translating these remarkable properties into practical products depends on the ability to efficiently grow long, high-quality CNTs. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ironscandium-catalyst-carbon-nanotube-growth.html Nanomaterials Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:00:01 EDT news700324681 A material may appear flawless on the surface yet fail to function properly. The cause lies in structural defects hidden within two-dimensional thin films, which are considered key materials for next-generation semiconductor devices. Recently, a Korean research team developed an optical analysis method that can identify these invisible defects using light. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-flawless-flipped-hidden-defects-2d.html Nanomaterials Sun, 07 Jun 2026 15:00:01 EDT news699875372 On the moon, the lack of atmosphere and accompanying features such as biological activity, oxygen-rich air, flowing water and rain, wind, and most erosion allows the lunar regolith to preserve a long-term record of surface processes in the space environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-regolith-reveal-nanoscale-space-weathering.html Astronomy Thu, 28 May 2026 10:20:07 EDT news699178261 Gold nanoparticles, which are about one-thousandth the width of a human hair, can convert light they receive from a laser into heat. This capacity, known in medicine as photothermal therapy, is effective at destroying cancer cells without harming the surrounding healthy tissue. It's one of the techniques the scientific community is exploring in depth as an alternative chemotherapy, as it is less aggressive. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-shell-gold-nanoparticles-laser-longer.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 19 May 2026 15:00:08 EDT news698415541 Sleep is a vital physiological process that allows humans and other animals to restore both the mind and body, while also consolidating memories, clearing out toxins and regulating their metabolism. Several past studies showed that getting insufficient sleep for prolonged periods of time can trigger inflammatory responses and can negatively impact people's memory, mood, attention and decision-making. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-exosomes-reverse-deprivation-brain-mice.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 12 May 2026 11:20:06 EDT news697800599 Over the past few decades, some physicists worldwide have been investigating unusual particle-like magnetic structures known as topological solitons. These structures could potentially be leveraged to develop new cutting-edge technologies, such as new magnetic memory devices and computing systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-laser-isolated-hopfions.html Condensed Matter Fri, 08 May 2026 08:00:03 EDT news697281397