Phys.org news

Phys.org / An AI-driven strategy to accelerate microbial gene function discovery

We know the genes, but not their functions—to resolve this long-standing bottleneck in microbial research, a joint research team has proposed a cutting-edge research strategy that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Fungal mechanism reveals how powdery mildew overcomes wheat immune defenses

Cereals have natural resistance to pathogenic fungi, but powdery mildew, for example, can overcome this resistance. A team at the University of Zurich has now discovered a new mechanism that enables powdery mildew to outsmart ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / El Niño events projected to cut life expectancy gains and cost trillions by 2100

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the planet's greatest driver of year-to-year climate swings, shapes temperature, rainfall, and extreme weather around the world. Its impact ranges from heat waves and floods to air ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Silky shark tagging study reveals gaps in marine protected areas

The limited range of marine protected areas (MPAs) offers reduced protection to vulnerable species such as the highly mobile silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis). Because the survival of these sharks is threatened by commercial ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Compressed data technique enables pangenomics at scale

Engineers at the University of California have developed a new data structure and compression technique that enables the field of pangenomics to handle unprecedented scales of genetic information. The team, led by UC San ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Retail therapy fail? Online shopping may raise stress more than news, email or adult content

Planning to save time by doing your shopping online? If so, it's possible you're not doing your well-being any favors. A study from Aalto University in Finland has found that online shopping is more strongly linked to stress ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Queen conch's hopping behavior helps set new conservation guidance

A new study published in Conservation Biology examines the behavior and distribution of queen conch (Aliger gigas) to guide conservation management for the threatened sea snail.

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Surprise discovery reveals silica's hidden potential in flat optics

An unexpected discovery in a Harvard lab has led to a breakthrough insight into choosing an unconventional material, silica, to make optical metasurfaces—ultra-thin, flat structures that control light at the nanoscale and ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Genomic study uncovers button mushroom's evolutionary and domestication history

A large-scale population genomic study has shed new light on the evolutionary and domestication history of the button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), one of the most widely cultivated edible fungi in the world.

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Living sensor display turns engineered skin into a biological monitor

Wearable health devices, such as smartwatches, have become commonplace, enabling the continuous monitoring of physiological signals at the skin's surface. A research team in Japan has developed a biohybrid approach that works ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / High-speed AFM imaging reveals how brain enzyme forms a dodecameric ring structure

Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have captured real-time images showing how a key brain enzyme organizes itself to help memory formation.

Jan 12, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / How marine viruses help fuel underwater oxygen-rich zones

Newly published interdisciplinary research led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and University of Maryland shows that viral infection of blue-green algae in the ocean stimulates productivity in the ecosystem and ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology