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. Every crystal's shape is a mirror of the internal arrangement of its molecules, but the molecules in photoswitchable crystals can expand, twist and change properties—from their color to their electronic conductivity—with a simple flash of light. This has made them highly sought-after for applications like pharmaceuticals and data servers. But scientists have very little control over the shape that crystals take. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-crystals-team-rethinking-crystal-analysis.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:40:02 EST news689849888 Physical forces from gravity, muscle contraction, and more have strong impacts on how the cells in our bodies behave. For instance, weight-bearing exercise helps stave off osteoporosis because cells in our bones sense that force and build more bone to support it. Cells of our arteries sense the force from high blood pressure, which triggers biological responses to bring blood pressure down. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-nanodevice-proteins-reveal-cells.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:20:26 EST news689865601 Invisible light beyond the range of human vision plays a vital role in communication technologies, medical diagnostics, and optical sensing. Ultraviolet and near-infrared wavelengths are routinely used in these fields, yet detecting them directly often requires complex instrumentation. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-crystal-emitting-red-uv-green.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:00:07 EST news689603661 You can tell a lot about a material based on the type of light shining at it: Optical light illuminates a material's surface, while X-rays reveal its internal structures and infrared captures a material's radiating heat. Now, MIT physicists have used terahertz light to reveal inherent, quantum vibrations in a superconducting material, which have not been observable until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-terahertz-microscope-reveals-motion-superconducting.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:00:06 EST news689415002 UCLA researchers have developed a mineral sunscreen formulation that significantly reduces the white, chalky cast that keeps many people from wearing sun protection daily. For decades, dermatologists have urged people to apply sunscreen daily to protect against ultraviolet radiation. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation is the leading preventable cause of skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-mineral-sunscreen-white-tetrapod-zinc.html Biochemistry Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:11:22 EST news689346662 Millions of tires, old washing machines, barges, warships, covering the ocean floor with thousands of square kilometers of concrete—even giant, concrete spheres full of holes: these are all things used to build artificial reefs. Advocates of artificial reefs say they are needed because they promote habitat for fish and increase biodiversity. These are indeed potential solutions to pressing problems: global oceans are faced with widespread degradation of habitat, overfishing and a loss of biodiversity. And recent legislation such as the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act has incentivized governments, industries and private foundations to explore infrastructure and technologies to make fishing and other ways we use our oceans more sustainable, according to Jacob Allgeier, University of Michigan professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-qa-scientific-artificial-reefs.html Ecology Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:38:51 EST news689341081 Before plants evolved, vegetative life consisted of primitive green algae living in the sea. Like plants, these algae survived by performing photosynthesis, turning sunlight into energy. However, little light reaches the ocean where algae live; therefore, they evolved specialized organs to grab what little is available. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sea-soil-molecular-algae-evolved.html Evolution Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:14:25 EST news689321641 In a recent study, researchers at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) identify a novel RNA molecule that plays a crucial role in preserving the integrity of a key cellular structure, the nucleolus . Their findings also suggest this molecule may influence patient survival in certain blood cancers. The work is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-newly-rna-molecule-cancer-patient.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:46:23 EST news689273162 An international research team headed by scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and the Center for Structural Systems Biology and Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Germany has revealed fresh insights into the dynamic network of protein interactions that govern the biology of the malaria parasite. Published in Nature Microbiology, the findings could pave the way for novel treatments of malaria. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-reveals-malaria-protein-interactions.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:05:40 EST news689267101 An analysis of an unusual enzyme could result in a new generation of antimicrobial medicines to counter antibiotic resistance. Key details in the enzyme-driven biosynthesis of a natural molecule with potent antibiotic activity have been revealed by chemists at RIKEN. This discovery has the potential to enable a swathe of new antibiotics to be developed, which are urgently needed to counter the increasing emergence of drug-resistant bacterial superbugs. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-enigmatic-enzyme-potential-antibiotic-drug.html Biochemistry Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:18:14 EST news689264281 In a study published in Nature on January 28, a research team led by Eric H. Xu (Xu Huaqiang) from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with Ma Xiong from Renji Hospital, determined how Ostα/β transports bile acids and why it differs fundamentally from previously characterized carriers through cryo-EM structure determination, molecular dynamics simulations, and electrophysiological analyses. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-northwest-passage-mechanism-bile-acid.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:10:01 EST news689252691 A new discovery by researchers from Adelaide University, in collaboration with Denmark's Carlsberg Research Laboratory, will allow barley growers to optimize seed dormancy for their crops and improve growing efficiency. The researchers employed a multidisciplinary approach to construct the barley mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) enzyme-substrate complex, which plays a crucial role in seed dormancy. The work is published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-seed-dormancy-discovery-optimize-barley.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:59:08 EST news689252281 A Sydney Ph.D. student has recreated a tiny piece of the universe inside a bottle in her laboratory, producing cosmic dust from scratch. The results shed new light on how the chemical building blocks of life may have formed long before Earth existed. Linda Losurdo, a Ph.D. candidate in materials and plasma physics in the School of Physics, used a simple mix of gases—nitrogen, carbon dioxide and acetylene—to mimic the harsh and dynamic environments around stars and supernova remnants. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-student-cosmic-lab-life-earth.html Astronomy Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:40:02 EST news689247438 Researchers from Drexel University who discovered a versatile type of two-dimensional conductive nanomaterial called MXene nearly a decade and a half ago, have now reported on a process for producing its one-dimensional cousin: the MXene nanoscroll. The group posits that these materials, which are 100 times thinner than human hair yet more conductive than their two-dimensional counterparts, could be used to improve the performance of energy storage devices, biosensors and wearable technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-mxene-nanoscrolls-energy-storage-biosensors.html Nanomaterials Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:36:33 EST news688926961 In beehives on the CERN site, a buzzing team of bees collaborates to build hexagon after hexagon of honeycomb—a shape that allows the most honey for a given amount of beeswax to be stored. Working nearby, a team of similarly committed scientists has recently pieced together some more high-tech hexagons to form the first prototype "cassette" for the new CMS endcap calorimeters. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-prototype-cassettes-key-cms-high.html General Physics Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:50:01 EST news688923791 New simulations performed on a NASA supercomputer are providing scientists with the most comprehensive look yet into the maelstrom of interacting magnetic structures around city-sized neutron stars in the moments before they crash. The team identified potential signals emitted during the stars' final moments that may be detectable by future observatories. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nasa-probe-tangled-magnetospheres-merging.html Astronomy Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:22:43 EST news688922521 A UBC Okanagan-led research project has given a group of international scientists their clearest view yet of the Milky Way's magnetic field, revealing that it is far more complex than previously believed. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-milky-magnetism-insights-cosmic-evolution.html Astronomy Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:20:31 EST news688922402 A new multifunctional composite made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) and piezoelectric materials can use vibrations to self-detect tiny cracks. This material could be used in the aerospace, automotive, and construction industries to monitor structural health without the need for an external power source. The technology was shared in a paper published in the International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials on January 9, 2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-powered-composite-material.html Materials Science Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:17:22 EST news688900580 Cells organize their molecules into distinct functional areas. While textbooks usually refer to membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria and cell nuclei, recent studies have also revealed organelles without membranes. These include stress granules and proteasome storage granules (PSGs). https://phys.org/news/2026-01-cryoelectron-tomography-reveals-paracrystalline-architecture.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:05:34 EST news688842301 Building things so small that they are smaller than the width of a human hair was previously achieved by using a method called two-photon polymerization, also known as 2PP—today's state-of-the-art in 3D micro- and nanofabrication. Tiny sculptures such as a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower or the Taj Mahal made the headlines. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-polymers-state-art-3d-micro.html Nanophysics Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:19:34 EST news688839541 The cycling of water within Earth's interior regulates plate tectonics, volcanism, ocean volume, and climate stability, making it central to the planet's long-term evolution and habitability and a key scientific question. While subducting slabs are known to transport water into the mantle, scientists have long assumed that most hydrous minerals dehydrate at high temperatures, releasing fluids as they descend. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-superionic-state-enables-term-storage.html Earth Sciences Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:00:03 EST news688814701 A great white shark is a masterwork of evolutionary engineering. These beautiful predators glide effortlessly through the water, each slow, deliberate sweep of the powerful tail driving a body specialized for stealth, speed and efficiency. From above, its dark back blends into the deep blue water, while from below its pale belly disappears into the sunlit surface. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-great-white-sharks-kind-tooth.html Evolution Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:06:32 EST news688820761 Gifu University scientists have uncovered how a brain-specific enzyme reshapes protein-linked sugar chains to facilitate the formation of complex glycans essential for normal brain function. These insights could inform future research into glycan-related brain disorders and open new avenues for therapeutic investigation. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-brain-enzyme-sugar-chains-linked.html Biochemistry Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:30:04 EST news688728069 The architecture of the body is not encoded as a formal blueprint; rather, it's the tightly orchestrated activation and deactivation of genes that coordinate body development. Many of these processes are not fully understood, but RIKEN researchers have made important headway toward reconstructing how critical building blocks within a vertebrate embryo take shape. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-peek-clockwork-embryonic-body-patterning.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:00:01 EST news688726707 University of Liverpool researchers have discovered a way to host some of the most significant properties of graphene in a three-dimensional (3D) material, potentially removing the hurdles for these properties to be used at scale in green computing. The work is published in the journal Matter. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-3d-material-mimics-graphene-electron.html Condensed Matter Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:32:21 EST news688753921 Every second, millions of cells in your body divide in two. In the space of an hour, they duplicate their DNA and grow a web of protein fibers around it called a spindle. The spindle extends its many fibers from the chromosomes in the center to the edges of the cell. Then, with extraordinary force, it pulls the chromosomes apart. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-mighty-microscopic-fibers-key-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:43:28 EST news688668182 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 When spider monkeys want to tell others about the best fruit trees in the forest or ones they've missed, they do so by changing their social groups to share what they know, according to a new study published in the journal npj Complexity. It's a neat system that means the whole group finds the best food much faster than any individual monkey could on its own. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-spider-monkeys-pool-knowledge-fruit.html Plants & Animals Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:30:06 EST news688663523 Adaptor protein (AP) complexes play central roles in intracellular vesicular trafficking by coupling cargo selection to vesicle formation. AP-4, an important member of the AP family, plays a key role in this process. AP-4 dysfunction disrupts the transport of essential cargo proteins, such as ATG9A, leading to their abnormal retention within cells. However, the mechanistic details of how AP-4 is recruited to membranes and how its structural features support this process have remained unclear. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-cryo-em-reveal-conformational-dynamics.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:20:30 EST news688663202 Across the world, water scarcity is emerging as one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. Climate change is pushing rivers and aquifers into unprecedented extremes, droughts and floods are intensifying, and demand for freshwater is rising with population growth and economic development. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-aging-populations-global.html Environment Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:40:03 EST news688647645