Phys.org news

Phys.org / Malaria rebound spurs AI-driven hunt for parasite genes linked to deadly cases

Despite decades of efforts to combat it, malaria remains a major global health threat. According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2025 World Malaria Report, about 282 million cases and approximately 610,000 deaths ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / Penguin muscle map reveals how waddles and underwater 'flight' both work

Penguins may look charmingly awkward on land, but new research shows their bodies are finely tuned for powerful, efficient movement both on land and underwater. A team of anatomists from Midwestern University, in collaboration ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / Rose pangenome maps 55,000 genes, opening new path for breeding

Roses are among the most economically significant ornamental plants worldwide, with widespread applications in the cut flowers, garden, and cosmetics industries. Yet fewer than 10% of rose species have contributed to modern ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / Stretching and squeezing diamond opens new path for ultra-precise quantum sensors

Researchers have discovered a new way to tune the quantum properties of tiny defects in diamond—by gently stretching or compressing the crystal. These findings could pave the way for next-generation sensors that can detect ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / AI tool predicts how new drug molecules move before costly lab tests

For every life-changing new drug that comes to market, many candidates fail along the way. An artificial intelligence-based tool developed at the University of Oregon could help scientists better predict how hypothetical ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / ATLAS acts as a cosmic-ray laboratory with first measurement of proton–oxygen collisions

Tens of kilometers above Earth's surface, high-energy particles from outer space constantly strike the atmosphere, creating showers of energetic secondary particles that rain down from the sky. Approximately one of these ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / One-step method reveals structures of RNA-protein complexes in living cells

A new method developed at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions allows researchers to better understand how RNA works. The method, published in Molecular Cell, is a powerful strategy for identifying intricate ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / AI maps mammals' molecular 'dark matter' by predicting billions of missing metabolites

Invisible "dark matter"—what cosmologists call the mysterious glue that holds everything together—is estimated to make up more than a quarter of the universe. In chemistry, dark matter refers to the thousands of small molecules ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / Bacteria's 'two-way door' revealed: How antimicrobials cross cell membranes

Researchers at Durham have helped unlock a new understanding of how bacteria import antimicrobial peptides—the molecules that can kill or inhibit microbes. The research sheds new light on SbmA, a key transporter protein found ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / Mosses and thale cress share the same leaf growth principles, despite 400 million years of separate evolution

A study published in Science Advances shows that, in moss and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, commonly known as thale cress, leaf formation relies on very similar cellular dynamics, with growth concentrated at their ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / Breaking a shared defense restores antibiotics against two cystic fibrosis lung bacteria

A newly discovered mechanism renders antibiotic-resistant bacteria vulnerable by disabling both their individual resistance and a process known as cross-protection, the ability of resistant bacteria to shield nearby, otherwise ...

Apr 21, 2026
Phys.org / Water-based process could make compostable packaging practical at industrial speeds

About 30% of plastics consumed are made to last forever but are discarded after a single use. Researchers at Virginia Tech are working to change that with a new approach that could make environmentally responsible packaging ...

Apr 21, 2026