Phys.org news

Phys.org / Why the Amazon's ability to make its own rain matters more than ever

Dr. Magali Nehemy stood on the banks of the Tapajós River in the Amazon rainforest when the community's chief—a man in his seventies who had lived there his whole life—looked out over the bare shoreline and shook his ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Cleaner rayon fiber production cuts solvent use by up to 70%

A UBC research team has developed a cleaner way to produce rayon, a popular fabric used in clothing for more than a century. The process could significantly reduce chemical use and improve sustainability in textile manufacturing.

Dec 4, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / New statistical tools sharpen the search for causal DNA changes in livestock

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new suite of statistical methods that dramatically improves the ability to pinpoint DNA changes responsible for important traits in livestock. The work addresses ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Hydrogel platform enables high-throughput extracellular vesicle isolation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising frontiers in modern biology. These nano-sized messengers mediate communication between cells, tissues, and organs, influencing processes from ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Catalyst insight may unlock safer, on-demand ozone water disinfection

University of Pittsburgh researchers have made an important step toward providing hospitals and water treatment facilities with a safer, greener alternative to chlorine-based disinfection.

Dec 4, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Eyes for an agricultural robot: AI system identifies weeds in apple orchards

Weed control is essential in apple orchards because weeds compete with trees for nutrients, water and sunlight, which can reduce fruit yields. However, physically removing weeds is not only labor-intensive, but it also can ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Jaw versatility enabled the ecological success of amniotes, paleontologists find

New research conducted by paleontologists from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin reveals a burst in jaw variety in the earliest amniotes—which includes the ancestors of all reptiles, ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Fullerenes could improve MRI clarity by enabling more efficient dynamic nuclear polarization

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is invaluable in the medical world. But despite all the good it does, there is room for improvement. One way to enhance the sensitivity of MRI is dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), where ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Seeing inside smart gels: Scientists capture dynamic behavior under stress

Advances in materials science have led to the development of "smart materials," whose properties do not remain static but change in response to external stimuli. One such material is poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), or PNIPAM, ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Receptor with 'rubber band' paves way for new pain and cancer drugs

The human P2X4 receptor plays an important role in chronic pain, inflammation and some types of cancer. Researchers at the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) have now discovered a mechanism that can ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Ancient quakes along 150-mile fault system in Nepal revealed

A common misconception about research is that it takes place in climate-controlled labs with microscopes, beakers, and Bunsen burners. While that is true for many fields, obtaining geoscience data can demand fieldwork in ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Common aldehydes transformed by light could accelerate drug discovery and material development

A new chemical method that could speed up the creation of medicines, materials and products people rely on every day has been developed by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Chemistry researchers. The work, published ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Chemistry