Phys.org news

Phys.org / Intensive grazing and soil fertility favor the growth of non-native plants, drylands study finds

A global study has revealed the conditions under which non-native plants thrive in the world's many dryland regions and the factors that limit their spread. Using data from 98 study sites across 25 countries on six continents, ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Early study connects dogs' cancer survival with their gut microbiome composition

Canine cancer patients receiving a new form of immunotherapy lived longer or shorter depending on the composition of their microbiome, the community of organisms living in their gut. Results of the clinical trial led by Oregon ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Science on the double: How an AI-powered 'digital twin' accelerates chemistry and materials discoveries

Understanding what complex chemical measurements reveal about materials and reactions can take weeks or months of analysis. But now, an AI-powered platform developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / A smart fluid that can be reconfigured with temperature

Imagine a "smart fluid" whose internal structure can be rearranged just by changing temperature. In a new study published in Matter, researchers report a way to overcome a long-standing limitation in a class of "smart fluids" ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Otters as ocean doctors: How a 40-year watch on Brazil's coasts reveals hidden threats to estuaries

For 40 years, scientists have been monitoring the Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) along the southern coast of Brazil. A study published in Estuarine Management and Technologies reveals that these charismatic mammals ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Quantum sensor research advances the pursuit of dark matter

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are helping to pave a path for the eventual discovery of dark matter. With new approaches to measurement in the quantum realm, using quantum optical ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / From cells to companies: Study shows how diversity scales within complex systems

A mystery novel, a history book, and a fantasy epic may have little in common in plot or style. But count the words inside them and a strange regularity appears: many new words show up early, then fewer and fewer as the author ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / AI model learns yeast DNA 'language' to boost protein drug output

Industrial yeasts are a powerhouse of protein production, used to manufacture vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, and other useful compounds. In a new study, MIT chemical engineers have harnessed artificial intelligence to optimize ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Tuned nanocrystals speed light-driven reactions by matching molecular vibrations

Adjusting the size and chemistry of nanocrystals within an ultrathin surface can speed up light-driven chemical reactions, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study published in the Journal of the American Chemical ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Elusive lithium-ion anode binder finally seen with pioneering technique

Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a powerful new method to visualize an essential lithium-ion battery electrode component that had been extremely difficult to trace before. The discovery, published in ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / To aficionados, fungi are freaky, mystical and overlooked. They're helping scientists learn more

Jessica Allen crunched through fallen leaves among Manzanita trees hunting for something few have spotted before: the Manzanita butter clump—a rare and little-known yellow mushroom found, so far, only along North America's ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Longer roots for drought? How an edited protein could reshape crop resilience

What's the key to growing resilient crops that can survive tough conditions? Researchers at the University of Missouri are getting to the root of it—literally. Researchers in the Walter Gassmann lab at Mizzou's Bond Life ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology