Phys.org news

Phys.org / Revolving doors and efficient engines: How proteins escape a molecular tangle

Trying to untangle a knot in a mess of strings can be frustrating and time-consuming. But not so for molecular machines—molecules that convert chemical energy into mechanical work and motion. Machines from the AAA+ family, ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / The battle of the sexes in the egg: How early nuclear rivalry helps embryos develop properly

The sperm and the egg cell's nuclei compete for size directly after fertilization and this is necessary for proper embryonic development. A mouse study with Kobe University participation finally gives meaning to a phenomenon ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / AI drug target platform pairs prediction with benchmarking to improve early discovery

Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), today announced advancements to its unified AI framework for drug target discovery, integrating its previously ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / Just a few species can drive a plant community's response to warming temperatures

A new analysis of experimental data led by the University of Michigan has unveiled insights into why and how plant communities are changing their makeup to survive in warmer temperatures. Thanks to field studies of plant ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / Mini-antibodies reactivate the 'guardian of the genome'

Each year, 20 million people are diagnosed with cancer. Various organs can be affected, and cancer types sometimes differ greatly at the cellular and molecular level. In about half of all cases, however, the protein p53 is ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / Light-responsive hydrogels enable fast and precise control of soft materials

Researchers at Tampere University have recently demonstrated that light can be used to precisely reshape soft materials without mechanical contact. They have developed light-responsive hydrogel thin films that enable programmable ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / AI speeds chemists' search for better disinfectants

Chemists and computer scientists tapped AI to find new disinfectants to combat the growing threat of dangerous "superbugs." Their computational-experimental framework for developing quaternary ammonium compounds, or QACs, ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / Environmental DNA in NYC's East River reveals clues about nearby human and animal residents

Sequencing environmental DNA—or eDNA—from the East River in New York City can effectively monitor human diets and local wildlife, as well as the river's fish populations, report Mark Stoeckle and Jesse Ausubel of The Rockefeller ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / Single-molecule method rapidly screens custom enzymes from vast mutant libraries

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms. They are widely applied in industries such as food production, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. However, for commercial use, natural enzymes ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular quantum nanosensors reveal temperature and radical signals inside living cells

Researchers at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan, and The University of Tokyo, Japan, in collaboration with Kyushu University, Japan, have developed a new class of biocompatible molecular ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular probe upgrade could make off-target drug effects easier to measure

A UCLA-led international research collaboration has unveiled a new technology that may help scientists better understand how small molecules, including many drugs, bind to proteins. The invention works with an existing lab ...

Apr 29, 2026
Phys.org / An anomaly in global sea level rise is explained by deep ocean heating

Climate scientists like to keep their accounting books neat and balanced. As climate change alters energy flows all across the planet, which in turn causes effects like sea level rise, ice melt and more, keeping close track ...

Apr 28, 2026