Phys.org news

Phys.org / Bumblebees may self-medicate when exposed to fungal infections

There is an old saying that nature is the best medicine, and it turns out bumblebees might agree. A new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science suggests that buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) may ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists capture first molecular-level images of water reorganization during a reaction crucial for life

Some of nature's most important chemical reactions rely on the coupled movement of negatively and positively charged particles. These processes play central roles in photosynthesis, catalysis and biological energy conversion ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Eagles known as hunting specialists reveal an unexpected taste for goat

Eagles are symbols of hunting prowess. Known as top predators wherever they live, they are often assumed to kill as their primary mode of obtaining food. However, a new study published in the Journal of Raptor Research reports ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Joro spiders eat wider range of insects than Georgia's native orb weavers

When Joro spiders first arrived stateside more than a decade ago, scientists worried the massive black-and-yellow spiders would gorge themselves on the same bugs as native spiders (or even the native spiders themselves). ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Breathable smart sensor developed for real-time hazardous gas detection on masks

A research team led by Sungwon Lee, a professor in the Department of Physics and Chemistry at DGIST, developed a hierarchical nano-on-nano structure by directly growing graphene nanowalls (GNWs) on polymer nanofibers and ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Motorboat noise stunts growth and impairs predator escape in reef fish, study shows

Coral reef fish that are exposed to motorboat noise grow up smaller and less able to dodge predators, new research shows. Scientists played either boat noise or natural reef sounds to a species from the Great Barrier Reef ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Nano-antennas make living cells light up brighter and faster

Researchers at Delft University of Technology have demonstrated for the first time that nano-antennas can enhance the fluorescence of proteins in living human and other mammalian cells. Scientists already use smart fluorescent ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / A Google-like search engine for single-cell RNA data could answer previously impossible questions

Imagine doctors could understand exactly which cells caused a patient's cancer or whether pathogens contributed to the disease. They could then use the information to tailor a treatment plan to the patient's specific cancer. ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Tracks and tooth marks reveal bone-crushing dogs at Nebraska supervolcano ashfall site

Thirty-five years on—well, 12 million, technically—Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park continues to offer important glimpses of prehistoric life in Nebraska.

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Self-blinking 'fairy lights' allow DNA to be imaged at almost double-helix-width resolution

Researchers have developed fluorescent molecules that permit imaging of how DNA is packaged inside living cells at unprecedented resolution and, in preserved cells, at a resolution close to the width of the double helix itself.

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / Inspired by nature, scientists engineer tiny 'nitrogen factories' that could help future cereal crops

As fertilizer prices remain elevated, researchers at South Dakota State University are developing an innovative solution to corn's nitrogen supply problems by taking inspiration from an ancient Mexican variety and root nodules ...

Aug 28, 2026
Phys.org / How methylation sets a parasite in motion to invade host cells

Parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii and the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum depend on rapid, precisely controlled movement to complete their life cycles. To start moving, they must assemble actin filaments at their ...

Aug 28, 2026