Phys.org news

Phys.org / Plants know when to grow—and when to hold back, study finds

Researchers have uncovered a surprising mechanism that allows plants to carefully coordinate the formation and growth of new leaf parts. The study shows that the hormone auxin regulates different phases in organ formation ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Biodegradable implant can deliver targeted cancer immunotherapy while protecting healthy tissue

Scientists at Houston Methodist Research Institute have developed a biodegradable implant designed to deliver cancer-fighting immunotherapy drugs directly into tumors over an extended period, a strategy that could improve ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Burning soil and peat drove most emissions in Canada's record 2023 wildfire season, study finds

Most of the carbon released during Canada's record-breaking 2023 wildfire season came from burning soil and peat, rather than trees, according to new research from McMaster University.

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Moth wings reveal an unexpected ability to smell plant chemicals

Insect wings are bristling with senses, feeling the wind blowing and even tasting potential mates, but little was known about whether moth wings are equipped with a sense of smell. Sonja Bisch-Knaden and Bill Hansson from ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / New snail species bolster case for protecting Montenegro's biodiversity

The descriptions of the two new additions to the European snail fauna, named Cochlostoma komarnica and Cochlostoma dobrido, have been published in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal.

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / First 3D views explain how primate cone pigments distinguish red from green

Human color vision depends on three types of cone cells in the retina. Although all three contain the same light-absorbing molecule, 11-cis-retinal, differences in the surrounding protein determine sensitivity to red, green ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / AI and robotics accelerate search for better gut microbiome therapies

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a method for systematically developing novel, complex combinations of probiotics and prebiotics to more effectively maintain gut health and treat various gastrointestinal ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Biomolecular condensates reveal surprising activity as catalysts

Biomolecular condensates are ubiquitous in living cells, including bacteria, viruses, plants and mammalian systems. These membraneless bodies, or molecular communities made up of DNA, RNA and proteins, are where molecules ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / A quantum heat engine that simultaneously provides work and refrigeration

The laws of thermodynamics state that heat naturally flows from hotter systems or regions to colder systems or regions until a state of thermal equilibrium is reached. This simple principle underpins the operation of numerous ...

Jul 26, 2026
Phys.org / Angola's oldest burials, including its only known ancient cremation, uncovered at a 15th-century site doomed by a dam

As the construction of a hydroelectric dam loomed, archaeologists raced to uncover Angola's earliest dated burials and its only known cremation at a 15th-century settlement before it vanished beneath the water.

Jul 26, 2026
Phys.org / Gamma-ray pulsations reveal extreme 3.2-millisecond pulsar 3,900 light-years away

By analyzing the data from NASA's Fermi gamma-ray space telescope, Chinese astronomers have investigated a recently identified millisecond pulsar known as PSR J0435+3233. As a result, they found that the pulsar exhibits gamma-ray ...

Jul 26, 2026
Phys.org / Twisted laser light distinguishes mirror-image molecules by their fragment counts

Many molecules exist in two mirror-image forms—like left and right hands—that look identical but can behave very differently, especially in biological systems and pharmaceuticals. Distinguishing between these enantiomers ...

Jul 26, 2026