Phys.org news

Phys.org / Automated catalyst testing uses two coordinated robots, cutting 32 days of work to 17 hours

A technology has been developed that uses robots rather than humans to evaluate the performance of newly developed catalysts. By operating 45 times faster than manual work while also improving precision, it is expected to ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Young 'sun' caught blowing bubbles by Chandra

For the first time, a much younger version of the sun has been caught red-handed blowing bubbles in the galaxy by astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The bubble—called an "astrosphere"—completely surrounds ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Scientists deliver new molecule for getting DNA into cells

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new molecule which carries DNA into biological cells, to treat or vaccinate against illnesses. Many existing options rely on molecules with a strong positive charge, ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Turning high-emissions waste into fertilizer: Catalyst boosts urea production by coupling CO₂ with nitrogen pollutants

UNSW engineers have tackled a longstanding problem at the heart of global agriculture: how to make urea for fertilizer without the intensity of emissions associated with fossil-fuel-powered factories. The solution is outlined ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Between the Pampa and Patagonia: New clues about how ancient hunter-gatherers fed themselves

An archaeological study reveals how ancient hunter-gatherer groups lived—and survived—more than a thousand years ago in the transition zone between the Pampas and Patagonia in Argentina. The research, carried out by Martínez ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Why the planet doesn't dry out all at once: Scientists solve a global climate puzzle

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), in collaboration with international partners, have shown that ocean temperature patterns help limit the global spread of droughts. Published in Communications ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / System isolates single extracellular vesicle surface proteins to map function

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are tiny biological bubbles that carry nucleic acids and proteins between cells, playing an essential role in tissue repair, neuroprotection and immune health. By isolating the surface proteins ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Breadcrumbs offer fossil fuel–free production of everyday goods

The humble breadcrumb could hold the key to cutting out fossil fuels from one of the chemical industry's most widely used reactions, according to a new study. Scientists have found a one-pot microbial formula that uses waste ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Ultra-efficient optical sensors can keep light circulating longer inside a microscopic chip

CU Boulder researchers have built high-performing optical microresonators, opening the door for new sensor technologies. At its simplest form, a microresonator is a tiny device that can trap light and build up its intensity. ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Alloy-engineered valleytronics: Microscopic mechanism gives scientists precise control over how excitons behave

Scientists have observed a new microscopic mechanism enabling precise control of the magneto-optical properties of excitons in alloys of two-dimensional semiconductors. This discovery opens up tangible prospects for technological ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Auroras on Ganymede and Earth share striking similarities

New observations of Ganymede reveal a striking similarity between the auroras on the largest moon in the solar system and those on Earth. The international team of astrophysicists, led by researchers from the University of ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Dialog / Bringing quantum ideas to the messy world of disordered proteins

Imagine trying to design a key for a lock that is constantly changing its shape. That is the exact challenge we face in modern drug discovery when dealing with intrinsically disordered proteins.

Feb 23, 2026 in Biology