Phys.org news

Phys.org / Success in measuring nano water droplets: Real-time images could advance hydrogen and battery research

In hydrogen production catalysts, water droplets must detach easily from the surface to prevent blockage by bubbles, allowing for faster hydrogen generation. In semiconductor manufacturing, the quality of the process is determined ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Super-pump explains how E. coli beats antibiotics in gut

The toxic bug E. coli uses a secret weapon to survive in our gut even when it is being treated with antibiotics, scientists have revealed. The new research has unmasked a super-pump inside the bacteria, and its related Shigella ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Water-resistant and recyclable redox-active MOFs enable stable energy storage in acidic solutions

Redox-active metal-organic frameworks (RAMOFs) are highly porous materials made of metals and organic molecules linked together by coordination bonds, and they contain redox-active sites that can store electrons (protons). ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Missing transporter protein found: How rice distributes iron to young leaves

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for the healthy growth of plants, including many staple crops like rice. Its deficiency remains a common agricultural problem that slashes crop yields, as it leads to impaired photosynthesis, ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / A new tunable cell-sorting device with potential biomedical applications

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel undergoes significant but precise changes in size between 20°C and 40°C, making it an excellent candidate for use in variable-size deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) array ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Nursery web spider uses legs to 'sniff out' its partners

Male nursery web spiders (Pisaura mirabilis) use the sense of smell in their legs to find mates. Researchers at the University of Greifswald used an electron microscope to discover "olfactory hairs" on the legs of adult males. ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Alaknanda: JWST discovers massive grand-design spiral galaxy from the universe's infancy

A spiral galaxy, shaped much like our Milky Way, has been found in an era when astronomers believed such well-formed galaxies could not yet exist. Two astronomers from India have identified a remarkably mature galaxy just ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Cats adjust their communication strategy by meowing more when greeting men

As many cat owners will testify, their pets are often mysterious creatures, independent, cunning and sometimes aloof. And now it appears that when it comes to communication, they might be playing favorites. A new study published ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Geodesic approach links quantum physics and gravitation

It is something like the "Holy Grail" of physics: unifying particle physics and gravitation. The world of tiny particles is described extremely well by quantum theory, while the world of gravitation is captured by Einstein's ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Dynamic duo of bacteria could change Mars dust into versatile building material for first human colonists

Since humanity's first steps on the moon, the aspiration to extend human civilization beyond Earth has been a central objective of international space agencies, targeting long-term extraterrestrial habitation. Among the celestial ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Sugars, 'gum,' stardust found in NASA's asteroid Bennu samples

The asteroid Bennu continues to provide new clues to scientists' biggest questions about the formation of the early solar system and the origins of life. As part of the ongoing study of pristine samples delivered to Earth ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Ancient stalagmite provides insights into how climate affected early communities in cradle of civilization

The Fertile Crescent, a boomerang-shaped region spanning modern-day Middle Eastern countries, is considered the cradle of civilization and where farming first emerged. But little is known about how climate change influenced ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Earth