Phys.org news

Phys.org / Single-cell imaging and machine learning reveal hidden coordination in algae's response to light stress

Researchers from several Parisian institutions have worked together to develop a non-destructive approach to study how unicellular organisms respond to stress, focusing on cell-to-cell differences. Working together, the researchers ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / Boron arsenide semiconductor sets record in quantum vibrations

You may not be able to hear it, but all solid materials make a sound. In fact, atoms—bound in lattices of chemical bonds—are never silent nor still: Under the placid surface of each and every object in our surroundings, a ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / Nanoparticles enable large-scale production of advanced cell therapies

Researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in China have developed a streamlined process that makes it easier to produce tiny therapeutic particles released by cells, called exosomes, which are being explored ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / Mathematical framework maps landscape of student knowledge via short quizzes

When we learn something new, that information does not exist in isolation. It integrates into the complex landscape of our knowledge, forging connections with existing ideas and opening up possibilities for new learning. ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / Highly and casually active citizen scientists contribute equally valuable data

The word "nemotia" is a neologism, a newly coined term that in this case, describes the sense of overwhelmingness and disconnect accompanying the thought that nothing you do will ever make a difference. If this describes ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / XRISM identifies gamma Cas X-ray origin, solving a 50-year-old stellar mystery

Visible to the naked eye in the constellation Cassiopeia, the star γ Cas has puzzled astrophysicists for half a century. It emits X-rays of an intensity and temperature incompatible with what one would expect from an ordinary ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / Stolen chloroplasts maintained by host-made proteins offer clues to plant cell origins

Every plant cell is the product of a biological merger billions of years ago. Chloroplasts are key structures in plants and algae that capture sunlight, but originally they were free-living bacteria that took up residence ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / Why cooperative workplaces boost your sense of freedom

Jack Welch, the legendary General Electric CEO, was infamous for firing the bottom 10% of his workforce every year, without exception. The company's market cap rose substantially during Welch's tenure, but his "rank and yank" ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / Alternative pathways in proteasome biogenesis deciphered

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Potsdam and the University of Cologne has deciphered the step-by-step assembly of the eukaryotic proteasome. Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells have a clearly ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / Belt-like VO₂(B) single crystals unlock high-sensitivity gas detection at room temperature

An international research team has successfully synthesized oriented belt-shaped vanadium dioxide (VO2(B)) single crystals via a hydrothermal reduction method, using one-dimensional vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanofibers as ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / 'Gray-box' AI reveals why catalysts work while speeding discovery

Self-driving laboratories (SDLs) powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly accelerating materials discovery, but can they also explain their results? Researchers from the Theory Department of the Fritz Haber Institute, ...

Mar 24, 2026
Phys.org / New imaging technique maps membrane lipids in 3D at nanoscale

Biological membranes of cells and their subunits (organelles) are organized into tiny regions (nanodomains) made up of fats (lipids) and proteins. Those specialized regions carry out important tasks for the cell, such as ...

Mar 24, 2026