Phys.org news

Phys.org / First cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in northern elephant seals confirmed in California

Seven weaned elephant seal pups in California's Año Nuevo State Park tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / Lab tests investigate how house fire emissions differ from forest fires

Wildfires have increased in frequency and severity over the past few decades. More fires are burning at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where homes and other buildings meet the natural landscape—but our understanding ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / Ocean warming drives a nearly 20% annual decline in fish biomass, research confirms

According to a new study by the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) and the National University of Colombia, chronic ocean warming is driving a nearly 20% annual decline in fish biomass. However, the researchers ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / An endangered natural pharmacy hidden in coral: Hundreds of reef-dwelling microbes reveal untapped potential

Coral reefs are teeming with life: they are home to over a third of all marine animal and plant species on Earth, despite covering less than one percent of the ocean floor. However, this immense diversity is under threat ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / Robot pollinator uses computer vision to shake flowers and boost indoor farm yields

Indoor farms, also known as vertical farms, are popular among agricultural researchers and are expanding across the agricultural industry. Some benefits they have over outdoor farms include the year-round production of food ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / Heat relief means higher emissions: How air conditioning complicates 1.5°C goals

While air conditioning protects people from dangerous heat, it also significantly worsens global warming—by 2050, potentially producing more carbon dioxide than the current annual emissions of the United States, a new study ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / Boat traffic alters marine megafauna behavior, stress and population trends, global analysis finds

A new study provides a comprehensive global synthesis of how vessel traffic affects large marine wildlife, including whales, dolphins, seals, manatees, sea turtles, sharks and rays. The study, "Charting the Course for Management: ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / Iron and blue LEDs synthesize natural molecules, cutting the need for expensive chiral components

Photocatalysts facilitate chemical reactions by absorbing light. Metal-based photocatalysts are widely used in organic synthesis due to their durability and the ability to tune their function by modifying the ligands attached ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / AI gets water right: How a hydration shield helps proteins keep their shape

A study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society reports that artificial intelligence can enhance protein stability in an unexpected way—by engineering the water around a protein, not just the protein itself. ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / Which cell measurements matter most? AI tool helps researchers see the bigger picture

Studying gene expression in a cancer patient's cells can help clinical biologists understand the cancer's origin and predict the success of different treatments. But cells are complex and contain many layers, so how the biologist ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / Tropical flowers are blooming weeks later than they used to through climate change

Climate change has caused some tropical plants to flower earlier or later than they used to; in some cases by a matter of weeks or even months, according to a study of 8,000 flowers across more than two centuries, published ...

Feb 25, 2026
Phys.org / E-waste chemicals are appearing in dolphins and porpoises

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are critical components of laptop, television, and smartphone screens. Given their ubiquity in the environment, these compounds are considered persistent pollutants, posing threats to marine ...

Feb 25, 2026