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. Starting just outside Charlotte, North Carolina, a vast underground deposit of lithium stretches south for 25 miles. A key component of rechargeable batteries and energy grid storage systems, the soft, silvery metal is a global commodity, making this subterranean cache a geopolitically important and potentially lucrative resource. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-exploring-quality-impacts-legacy-lithium.html Environment Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:02:28 EST news689878921 The human kidney filters about a cup of blood every minute, removing waste, excess fluid, and toxins from it, while also regulating blood pressure, balancing important electrolytes, activating Vitamin D, and helping the body produce red blood cells. This broad range of functions is achieved in part via the kidney's complex organization. In its outer region, more than a million microscopic units, known as nephrons, filter blood, reabsorb necessary nutrients, and secrete waste in the form of urine. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-bioengineers-perfusable-kidney-ducts-3d.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:21:51 EST news689876461 Researchers in Australia have unveiled the largest quantum simulation platform built to date, opening a new route to exploring the complex behavior of quantum materials at unprecedented scales. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-quantum-twins-simulator-unveils-dots.html Condensed Matter Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:00:06 EST news689595329 A single type of chemical structure that shows up again and again in modern medicine is the amide bond that links a carbonyl group (C=O) to a nitrogen atom. They're so ubiquitous that 117 of the top 200 small-molecule drugs by retail sales in 2023 feature at least one amide bond. And now, researchers have discovered a clever new way to reengineer natural enzymes to build amides from simple chemicals like aldehydes and amines. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-enzymes-enable-greener-pot-amide.html Biochemistry Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:20:01 EST news689594364 Watching proteins move as they drive the chemical reactions that sustain life is one of the grand challenges of modern biology. In recent years, X-ray free-electron lasers, or XFELs, have begun to meet that challenge, capturing ultrafast snapshots of molecules as they shift shape during a reaction—effectively creating molecular slow-motion movies. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-smarter-biology-microfluidic-droplet-injector.html Biotechnology Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:59:39 EST news689533141 Pharmaceutical products are essential for health, and they play and will continue to play a key role in disease prevention and treatment. However, they are exerting a major impact on the environment by affecting ecosystems and human health, and contributing to biodiversity loss, antimicrobial resistance and climate change. The main ingredients of medicines designed to achieve the desired health effect, together with their excipients (inert substances mixed with medicines to provide them with consistency, shape, taste, etc.) and packaging materials, are polluting the air, soil and water worldwide. This leads to problems in ecosystems, which then translate into an impact on human health. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-multi-sector-approach-global-posed.html Environment Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:38:41 EST news689531881 In biology, many RNA molecules act as sophisticated microscopic machines. Among them, riboswitches function as tiny biological sensors, changing their 3D shape upon binding to a specific metabolite. This shape-change acts as a switch, often turning a downstream gene "on" or "off." The ability to design artificial switches from scratch would hold immense promise for synthetic biology, drug design, and new diagnostic tools. However, designing a sequence that can stably fold into two different shapes and switch between them is an extremely difficult challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-machines-molecular.html Biotechnology Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:40:10 EST news689518431 A new study has uncovered a hidden step that helps the deadliest malaria parasite survive and multiply inside the human body. Researchers studying Plasmodium falciparum found that the parasite relies on a brief but essential stage, nicknamed the "Crown" stage, to make sure a crucial internal structure is passed on correctly when it divides. The discovery offers a fresh look at how the parasite reproduces and could point to new ways to stop malaria by disrupting this process. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-uncover-hour-crown-checkpoint-enables.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:00:01 EST news689422182 Australian researchers have developed a powerful new way to target deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by designing antibodies that recognize a sugar found only on bacterial cells—an advance that could underpin a new generation of immunotherapies for multidrug resistant hospital-acquired infections. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-antibody-bacteria-specific-sugar-lethal.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:00:01 EST news689358467 The potential of microrobots is enormous. These miniature objects can be designed to carry out actions within the body, such as sensing biomarkers, manipulating objects like blood clots, or delivering drug therapies to tumor sites. But working out how to make the tiny bots effective, biocompatible, and cost effective is challenging. Now a Caltech-led team has taken a huge step toward making the next generation of microrobots for drug delivery. They have simplified both the structure of the microrobots and their production method, while making the bots highly effective and "smart" enough to direct themselves to a tumor. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-bots-simple-biocompatible-microrobots-autonomously.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:40:04 EST news689257892 New treatments based on biological molecules like RNA give scientists unprecedented control over how cells function. But delivering those drugs to the right tissues remains one of the biggest obstacles to turning these promising yet fragile molecules into powerful new treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-future-metabolic-health-tissue-drug.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:50:01 EST news689247909 Researchers led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Savaş Taşoğlu from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Koç University have developed a new, open-access and machine learning-assisted design tool aimed at automating microfluidic chip design. The research is published in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-automating-microfluidic-chip-hybrid-approach.html Biotechnology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:17:43 EST news689275021 Scientists at the Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) have successfully realized the highly selective asymmetric 1,6 addition of aliphatic Grignard reagents to α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. This new methodology employs an iron catalyst in combination with a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, which suppresses undesired side reactions and drives highly regio-, stereo-, and enantioselective alkyl migration. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-iron-catalyst-asymmetric-addition-aliphatic.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:08:22 EST news689270882 Researchers from The Ohio State University and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed an artificial intelligence framework to rapidly generate drug-like molecules that are easier to synthesize in real-world laboratory settings. The new system, called PURE (Policy-guided Unbiased REpresentations for Structure-Constrained Molecular Generation), promises to significantly cut down the early-stage timelines of drug development—currently a billion-dollar, decade-long process—and could play a crucial role in addressing drug resistance in cancer and infectious diseases. It stands apart from existing molecule-generation AI tools that rely on rigid scoring mechanisms or statistical optimization. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-international-collaboration-spurs-ai-powered.html Biochemistry Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:40:01 EST news689258223 DNA can be thought of as a vast library that stores all genetic information. Cells do not use this information all at once. Instead, they copy only the necessary parts into RNA, which is then used to produce proteins—the essential building blocks of life. This copying process is called transcription, and it is carried out by a molecule known as RNA polymerase II. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-world-mouse-gene-visible.html Biotechnology Sat, 31 Jan 2026 09:30:01 EST news688987300 A large share of medicines developed today may never reach patients for a surprisingly simple reason: they cannot dissolve well enough in water. For most treatments, the oral route remains the gold standard because it is convenient and familiar. However, for a pill to work, its active ingredients must first dissolve in the fluids of the gastrointestinal tract before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-solubility-crisis-solvent-free-method.html Biochemistry Fri, 30 Jan 2026 10:00:33 EST news688989601 For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today's cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed an entirely new type of quantum refrigerator, which is partly driven by the noise itself. This refrigerator enables very precise control over heat and energy flows and could play an important role in scaling up quantum technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quantum-refrigerator-benefits-problematic-noise.html Superconductivity Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:50:03 EST news688912696 What if a cup of coffee could help treat cancer? Researchers at the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology believe it's possible. By combining caffeine with the use of CRISPR—a gene-editing tool known as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats—scientists are unlocking new treatments for long-term diseases, like cancer and diabetes, using a strategy known as chemogenetics. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-brewing-possibilities-caffeine-gene.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:40:39 EST news688668002 Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) and the Cancer Research Institute at Kanazawa University have uncovered how targeted lung cancer drugs alter the shape and behavior of a key cancer-driving protein—revealing a hidden mechanism that helps explain why some treatments stop working over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-visualizing-cancer-drugs-reshape-proteins.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:34:38 EST news688664042 Drug-resistant bacteria are one of the most urgent health challenges of our time, affecting people, animals, and the environments they share. The University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is addressing this evolving challenge with comprehensive infection prevention and control measures, as well as biosecurity strategies, to protect the animals, people, and communities served by its hospitals and facilities. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-safeguarding-health-animals-people-veterinary.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:57:41 EST news688391821 Inserting, removing or swapping individual atoms from the core of a molecule is a long-standing challenge in chemistry. This process, called skeletal editing, can dramatically speed up drug discovery or be applied for upcycling of plastics. Consequently, the field is witnessing a surge of interest spanning from fundamental chemical research to applications in the pharmaceutical industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-molecular-surgery-deleting-atom-molecule.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:28:20 EST news688321681 Consistent with the general trend of incorporating artificial intelligence into nearly every field, researchers and politicians are increasingly using AI models trained on scientific data to infer answers to scientific questions. But can AI ultimately replace scientists? https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-automate-science-philosopher-uniquely.html Social Sciences Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:38:23 EST news688135082 Research led by the University of Sydney is reshaping scientific understanding of one of the world's most widespread canine parasites, suggesting heartworm disease has a far deeper and more complex evolutionary history than previously believed—including a possible ancient origin of Australian heartworms linked to dingoes. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ancient-spaghetti-dogs-hearts-reveals.html Evolution Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:00:03 EST news688034278 A collaborative team of four professors and several graduate students from the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemical Science and Technology at National Taiwan University, together with the Department of Applied Chemistry at National Chi Nan University, has achieved a long-sought breakthrough. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nanoscopic-raft-dynamics-cell-membranes.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:28:31 EST news688062481 Speeding up drug discovery in the age of AI may come down to a concept that's comfortingly old-fashioned: Consulting a chemistry recipe book. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-mosaic-platform-chemistry-protocols-faster.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:50:19 EST news688060202 Thanks to a recent study by researchers at IOCB Prague, it is now possible to monitor processes in living cells more effectively than before, including responses to drugs and changes in cellular structures. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-fluorescent-clearer-high-contrast-imaging.html Cell & Microbiology Sun, 18 Jan 2026 11:20:01 EST news687715916 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 A research team of the University Medical Center Mainz has succeeded in observing for the first time how G protein-coupled receptors in living cells actually respond to activating substances. The scientists discovered that depending on the activating substance bound, one and the same receptor takes on different forms and thus triggers different cell reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-cell-receptors-real-drugs.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:34:36 EST news687710042 With a myriad of health effects, thyme extract may seem like a magic medicinal ingredient. Its biologically active compounds—thymol, carvacrol, rosmarinic acid, and caffeic acid—provide anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immune benefits. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-harnessing-medicinal-benefits-thyme-nanodosing.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:00:01 EST news687442665 Researchers in China have unveiled a new AI framework that could accelerate the discovery of new medicines. DrugCLIP can scan millions of potential drug compounds against thousands of protein targets in just a few hours—ten million times faster than current virtual screening methods. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-tool-discovery-life-medicines.html Biotechnology Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:20:01 EST news687172529