Phys.org news

Phys.org / Upcycling genes: 'SUPER' platform improves underperforming genetic parts

A research team has developed the "SUPER (Synthetic Upcycling Platform for Engineering Regulators)" platform, which dramatically enhances the performance and stability of gene regulatory devices. This research was recently ...

Feb 10, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A new inhalable treatment for tuberculosis: Once-weekly nanoparticles match daily oral rifampin in mice

Researchers at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo have developed a new inhalable form of tuberculosis (TB) treatment that could significantly reduce the burden of current therapy. ...

Feb 10, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / In-situ sensor enables real-time monitoring of soil nitrate nitrogen

Accurate measurement of soil NO₃⁻-N is essential for precision fertilization and stable crop yields. Real-time monitoring of NO₃⁻-N has long been a challenge in agriculture. Conventional soil nutrient testing relies ...

Feb 10, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Moving beyond money to measure the true value of Earth science information

They're all around us: sensors and satellites, radars and drones. These tools form vast remote sensing networks that collect data on the climate, the ground, the air, and the water. This information is immensely useful for ...

Feb 10, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Fruit fly study reveals how mating triggers behavioral changes in females

Researchers from The Universities of Manchester and Birmingham have identified the exact nerve cells in the brain that drive important behavioral changes in female fruit flies after they mate. The discovery, published in ...

Feb 10, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Exploring how the immune system detects drugs coated with 'stealth' polymers

A recent study by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo unveils the molecular mechanisms explaining why some "stealth" drug coatings fail to evade the immune system. Using single-molecule atomic force microscopy, the ...

Feb 10, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Nature's 'engine is grinding to a halt' as climate change gains pace, says study

Many ecologists hypothesize that, as global warming accelerates, change in nature must speed up. They assume that as temperatures rise and climatic zones shift, species will face local extinction and colonize new habitats ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Building blocks of life discovered in Bennu asteroid rewrite origin story

Amino acids, the building blocks necessary for life, were previously found in samples of 4.6-billion-year-old rocks from an asteroid called Bennu, delivered to Earth in 2023 by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. How those amino acids—the ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Leading AI models struggle to solve original math problems

Mathematics, like many other scientific endeavors, is increasingly using artificial intelligence. Of course, math is the backbone of AI, but mathematicians are also turning to these tools for tasks like literature searches ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Escape from Fukushima: Pig-boar hybrids reveal a genetic fast track in the wake of nuclear disaster

A new genetic study examines an unusually large hybridization event that followed the Fukushima nuclear accident, when escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar. The research shows that domestic pig maternal lineages sped ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A long-lost Soviet spacecraft: AI could finally solve the mystery of Luna 9's landing site

Using an advanced machine-learning algorithm, researchers in the UK and Japan have identified several promising candidate locations for the long-lost landing site of the Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft. Publishing their results ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Third exoplanet detected in the planetary system HD 176986

Using HARPS and HARPS-N spectrographs, astronomers have observed a nearby K-type star designated HD 176986, known to host two super-Earth exoplanets. The observations resulted in the discovery of another planet in the system ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space