Phys.org news

Phys.org / Mitochondria can reshape lipid storage in cells by repurposing a protein-insertion complex

A recent study by the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn and the University of Freiburg shows that the mitochondria appear to be able to influence the number of lipid droplets in the cell using a mechanism that ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Dogs are more like toddlers than cats when it comes to helping humans

Why does your dog rush to "help" when you are searching for something, while your cat seems… eh, less concerned? New research suggests that this difference may stem from deep evolutionary roots—and that, in certain situations, ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / What does it mean to compute? Framework maps hidden computations running inside natural dynamic systems

Some computers are easy to spot. Artificial, human-built computers like those found in smartphones and laptops are abstract dynamic systems with observable computational elements like input, output, energy cost, and logical ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Peanut waste can be turned into high-quality futuristic graphene

Researchers at UNSW have discovered a new way to make graphene, a remarkable "wonder material," using just discarded peanut shells. The development opens the door to cheaper, more sustainable electronics and energy storage ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Grasslands are vanishing nearly four times faster than forests, global study finds

Along with forests, grasslands and wetlands are also being converted to cropland and pasture at an increasing rate around the world—often for livestock farming and the export of agricultural products. An international team ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Human activity is influencing the behavior of Germany's wildcats

A research team led by Dr. Chris Baumann and Dr. Dorothée Drucker from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tübingen has found that the European wildcat is increasingly using ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Carbon-based catalyst can use sunlight to degrade PFAS

An international team of scientists led by the University of Bath has developed a new catalyst—a substance that speeds up chemical reactions—that uses sunlight to break down so-called "forever chemicals" prevalent in ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Using high-energy sparks to degrade pollutants without generating waste

A study published in the Chemical Engineering Journal proposes a new approach to environmental remediation of pharmaceutical pollutants in water flows. This approach is based on a phenomenon known as "sparks," which refers ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Will melting glaciers slow climate change? A prevailing theory is on shaky ground

For scientists who study the Southern Ocean, a long-standing silver lining in the gloomy forecast of climate change has been the theory of iron fertilization. As temperatures rise and glaciers in Antarctica melt, ice-trapped ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Scientists lay out what we do and don't yet know about moths and butterflies

Should you ever find yourself playing a trivia game on the topic of moths and butterflies, here are a few facts that might help. Collectively called Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies account for nearly 10% of all animal ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Laser technique can quickly check mRNA packaging in lipid nanoparticles

Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology is transforming medicine by providing our cells with genetic instructions to produce proteins that help the immune system prevent or fight a wide range of diseases, including cancer and other ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Rice gene discovery could cut fertilizer use while protecting yields

Researchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Biology