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. In the fields of intelligent health care and robotic sensing, the development of ultra-thin flexible temperature sensors serves as a core prerequisite for achieving high conformability and integration. However, a fundamental bottleneck persists: the high-temperature processes required to ensure high sensitivity are incompatible with the low thermal tolerance of flexible substrates. Consequently, it remains challenging for ultra-thin devices to simultaneously achieve high sensitivity, excellent flexibility, and long-term stability. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-strategy-boost-ultra-thin-flexible.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:15:17 EST news685109701 A collaboration between the groups of Professor Mónica H. Pérez-Temprano at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) and Professor Anat Milo at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has uncovered how the characteristics of specific substrates require certain reaction conditions that determine the course of a chemical reaction, in the context of C–H deuteration reactions. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-substrates-dictate-route-deuterium-source.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:52:04 EST news683304722 A research team led by Professor Wang Peng from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with international researchers, has successfully engineered liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-driven membraneless organelles (MLOs) within the food-grade industrial strain Corynebacterium glutamicum. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-membraneless-organelles-boost-bioproduction-corynebacterium.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:43:02 EST news681583381 Two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are only a few atoms thick, are known to exhibit unique electrical, mechanical and optical properties, which differ considerably from the properties of bulk materials. Some recent studies have also been probing these materials' "transparency" to intermolecular interactions, such as van der Waals (vdW) forces—weak forces arising from fluctuating electrical charges, which prompt the attraction between molecules or surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-graphene-partially-screens-van-der.html Nanophysics Tue, 21 Oct 2025 07:10:02 EDT news680173785 A research team from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has clarified the structure and function of synthetic microbial consortia, providing new insights for bioremediation of complex soil pollution. Their results are published in Environmental Technology & Innovation. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-scientists-reveal-mechanisms-synthetic-microbial.html Biotechnology Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:07:03 EDT news679320421 A new artificial intelligence-powered tool can help researchers determine how well an enzyme fits with a desired target, helping them find the best enzyme and substrate combination for applications from catalysis to medicine to manufacturing. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-ai-tool-enzymes-substrates.html Biochemistry Wed, 08 Oct 2025 15:39:04 EDT news679156741 University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new tool that makes greener chemistry more accessible. The tool, described in a study published in Nature, removes a major barrier to wider adoption of biocatalysis. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-catnip-chemists-driven-tool-broadens.html Biochemistry Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:00:05 EDT news678461221 A pharmaceutical scientist at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a method that can measure the kinetic efficiency of an enzyme against more than 200,000 potential peptide substrates in a single experiment. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-enzymatic-kinetics-substrates.html Biochemistry Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:01:03 EDT news677242861 Scientists at The University of Osaka and Tohoku University have developed a technique for creating nanoscale magnetic thin films with embedded functionality. By leveraging the stretchability of flexible substrates, they can precisely control the atomic spacing within these nanofilms, effectively "programming" desired magnetic properties directly into the material. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-stretchable-nanofilms-tunable-magnetic-properties.html Nanophysics Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:48:32 EDT news675935309 Establishing robust isolated spins on solid surfaces is crucial for fabricating quantum bits or qubits, sensors, and single-atom catalysts. An isolated spin is a single spin that is shielded from external interactions. Because isolated spins can maintain their state for long periods, they are ideal for use as qubits, the basic units of quantum computation, and for ultrafast spintronic memory. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-robust-isolated-quantum-magnetic-substrate.html Nanophysics Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:29:52 EDT news674922588 Self-labeling protein tags such as SNAP-tag offer the opportunity to attach bright and photostable synthetic fluorophores to proteins of interest for later analysis, and are widely used in biochemistry. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg have engineered a much improved version named SNAP-tag2 as well as optimized substrates for faster labeling in live cells. The study is published in Nature Chemical Biology. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-faster-brighter-protein-tool-snap.html Biotechnology Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:40:10 EDT news671703420 Shellfish beds or reefs, formed by mussels and oysters, have declined worldwide. Sterre Witte, who conducted her Ph.D. research at the NIOZ Coastal Systems department, has investigated how we can counteract this decline. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-sturdy-nursery-shellfish-predator-buffet.html Plants & Animals Wed, 02 Jul 2025 15:30:05 EDT news670687925 Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are materials consisting of individual metal atoms dispersed on a substrate (i.e., supporting surface). Recent studies have highlighted the promise of these catalysts for the efficient conversion and storage of energy, particularly when deployed in fuel cells and water electrolyzers. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-approach-reversibly-configures-heteronuclear-dual.html Nanomaterials Fri, 13 Jun 2025 06:50:01 EDT news668947073 Our everyday lives are so riddled with electronics that we hardly notice them anymore. When we casually reach for our smartphone, we rarely think about how complex this device is. Hundreds of tiny components work together within it—each of them a high-precision masterpiece of engineering. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-electron-shower-technique-advanced-piezoelectric.html Nanophysics Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:13:04 EDT news668344381 Diamond is one of the most prized materials in advanced technologies due to its unmatched hardness, ability to conduct heat and capacity to host quantum-friendly defects. The same qualities that make diamond useful also make it difficult to process. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-simpler-method-refines-ultrapure-diamond.html Condensed Matter Fri, 23 May 2025 12:39:04 EDT news667222742 Researchers have improved upon techniques that use thin films to compress infrared light, demonstrating three advantages that make the films more useful for practical applications. The researchers have proven that the "squeezed" infrared light can propagate at least four times farther than previously shown; that the technology can "squeeze" a wider range of infrared wavelengths than previously demonstrated; and that the thin films can be integrated onto a variety of substrate materials and shapes. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-infrared-wavelengths-thin.html Nanophysics Mon, 19 May 2025 13:33:04 EDT news666880381 A research team from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has proposed a hybrid transfer and epitaxy strategy, enabling the heterogeneous integration of single-crystal oxide spin Hall materials on silicon substrates for high-performance oxide-based spintronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-method-enables-high-oxide-based.html Condensed Matter Thu, 17 Apr 2025 12:47:44 EDT news664112854 A research team affiliated with the Nano Optics Group within the Department of Physics at UNIST has announced the successful implementation of a plasmonic structure capable of precisely adjusting nanometer-sized gaps in response to temperature changes. This technology enables real-time adjustment of nanogaps to match the size of molecules, allowing for detection capabilities that significantly surpass conventional sensors. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-ultra-precision-sensor-technology-molecule.html Nanophysics Tue, 25 Mar 2025 15:24:49 EDT news662135087 When light interacts with metallic nanostructures, it instantaneously generates plasmonic hot carriers, which serve as key intermediates for converting optical energy into high-value energy sources such as electricity and chemical energy. Among these, hot holes play a crucial role in enhancing photoelectrochemical reactions. However, they thermally dissipate within picoseconds (trillionths of a second), making practical applications challenging. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-advancing-electricity-energy-conversion-method.html Nanophysics Mon, 17 Mar 2025 17:40:10 EDT news661451995 Stretchable display materials, which are gaining traction in the next-generation display market, have the advantage of being able to stretch and bend freely, but the limitations of existing materials have resulted in distorted screens and poor fit. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-transparent-stretchable-substrate-image-distortion.html Nanomaterials Fri, 28 Feb 2025 14:35:21 EST news659975701 In a study that unlocks exciting possibilities for solar cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on materials known as perovskites, RIKEN researchers have refined techniques for controlling the optical and electronic properties of perovskite nanocrystals. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-techniques-aligning-nanocrystals-solar-cell.html Nanophysics Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:48:03 EST news659875682 A "pocket" on the protein cyclin B is responsible for ensuring that the steps of cell division take place in the correct order. Two studies by researchers at the University of Konstanz investigated why this is the case. The studies have been published in Nature Communications and EMBO Reports. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-cell-division-line-protein-cyclin.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 28 Jan 2025 09:50:22 EST news657280218 Photomechanical materials made of photochromic crystals, which change their molecular structure reversibly in response to light, have the potential to impact fields from semiconductors to pharmaceuticals. For the first time in the world, an Osaka Metropolitan University team has developed a crystal patterning method demonstrating that it is possible to control the orientation of photochromic crystals known as diarylethenes. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-diarylethene-crystal.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 23 Jan 2025 11:45:03 EST news656855101 Researchers from Seoul National University College of Engineering announced they have developed an optical design technology that dramatically reduces the volume of cameras with a folded lens system utilizing "metasurfaces," a next-generation nano-optical device. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-ultra-compact-optical-virtual-augmented.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 20 Nov 2024 14:35:52 EST news651335748 In a significant advancement for sustainable industrial practices, a team of international researchers have conducted a systematic review, uncovering 299 alternative substrates across 12 industries for the production of bacterial cellulose, a versatile biomaterial used in various sectors including food, textiles, and medicine. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-systematic-uncovers-alternative-substrates-bacterial.html Biochemistry Mon, 07 Oct 2024 12:37:03 EDT news647523422 Transport proteins are responsible for the ongoing movement of substrates into and out of a biological cell. However, it is difficult to determine which substrates a specific protein can transport. Bioinformaticians at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have developed a model—called SPOT—that can predict this with a high degree of accuracy using artificial intelligence (AI). https://phys.org/news/2024-09-ai-substrate-movement-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 26 Sep 2024 14:46:10 EDT news646580759 Like moths to a flame, microbes can also be moved by light. Using this knowledge, researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University's Research Institute for Light-induced Acceleration System (RILACS) have demonstrated a method to detect the presence of viruses quickly and using only a small sample. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-immunoassay-coronavirus-spike-proteins-minutes.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:02:02 EDT news645958921 Researchers want to transform the natural and abundant resource wood into useful materials, and central to that is a molecular machine found in fungi that decomposes the complex raw material into its basic components. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-bioengineers-substrate-wood-decomposing-enzyme.html Biochemistry Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:15:04 EDT news645898502 Flexible electronic devices based on electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENM) are attracting significant attention due to their high biocompatibility and excellent mechanical performance. However, patterning conductive materials on fiber substrates typically requires expensive vacuum equipment or additional processes to create separate masks. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-mechanical-stability-nanofiber-based-bioelectrodes.html Nanomaterials Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:11:32 EDT news642222688 The genetic information on DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) and translated to the amino acid sequence by transfer RNA (tRNA) on the ribosome. Modified nucleosides within RNA are involved in maintaining and regulating the protein synthesis system. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-discovery-trna-modification-enzyme-nucleosides.html Biochemistry Thu, 18 Jul 2024 13:42:03 EDT news640528921