Phys.org news

Phys.org / A new route to synthesize multiple functionalized carbon nanohoops

The field of nanomaterials is witnessing a transformative shift at the intersection of organic chemistry and molecular engineering. Among the most promising molecular structures are carbon nanohoops, of which [n]cycloparaphenylenes ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Raman sensors with push-pull alkyne tags amplify weak signals to track cell chemistry

Seeing chemistry unfold inside living cells is one of the biggest challenges of modern bioimaging. Raman microscopy offers a powerful way to meet this challenge by reading the unique vibrational signatures of molecules. However, ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Net-casting spiders' adjustable silk stiffness point to tunable fiber design

What makes spider silk so extraordinarily strong and elastic at the same time? This was the focus of recent investigations carried out by researchers from the University of Greifswald, the University of Bonn and the Museum ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How gut bacteria share antibiotic resistance genes and fuel dangerous hospital infections

Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), have uncovered how a high-risk class of genetic vectors can efficiently spread antibiotic resistance within the gut, enabling ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Parasite behind toxoplasmosis hides multiple distinct subtypes inside each cyst

A University of California, Riverside team of scientists has found that Toxoplasma gondii, a common parasite affecting up to one-third of the global population, is far more complex than previously believed. The findings, ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A specific immune system protein may drive antibiotic tolerance

If you have had strep throat or an ear infection, there's a good chance you received amoxicillin or penicillin to effectively kill the troublesome bacteria. These drugs, which belong to a broad group of antibiotics called ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How a vital DNA protection protein complex adapts to new threats without compromising its essential functions

In Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass," Alice is stuck in a never-ending race with the Red Queen yet never gains a lead. "It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place," the Queen says. "Though we ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Trust in Ph.D. advisor can predict a good grad school experience

The advisor-advisee relationship is central to most doctoral education models. Yet not all students trust their advisors. Danfei Hu, Jonathan E. Cook and colleagues sought to examine the importance of this relationship to ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Mapping cell development with mathematics-informed machine learning

The development of humans and other animals unfolds gradually over time, with cells taking on specific roles and functions via a process called cell fate determination. The fate of individual cells, or in other words, what ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Changes to cougar diets and behaviors reduce their competition with wolves in Yellowstone, study finds

A new study shows that interactions between wolves and cougars in Yellowstone National Park are driven by wolves stealing prey killed by cougars and that shifts in cougar diets to smaller prey help them avoid wolf encounters. ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Spider monkeys pool their knowledge to find the best fruit

When spider monkeys want to tell others about the best fruit trees in the forest or ones they've missed, they do so by changing their social groups to share what they know, according to a new study published in the journal ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / High-resolution map shows dark matter's gravity pulled normal matter into galaxies

Scientists have created the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through the universe—showing its influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets.

Jan 26, 2026 in Astronomy & Space