Phys.org news

Phys.org / AI reveals unexpected source of antibiotic candidates in prion proteins

New antibiotic candidates for drug-resistant bacteria may reside inside prions, misfolded proteins in the brain best known for rare and fatal degenerative brain diseases. Prion and prion-like proteins may hide short peptides, ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Palm oil, coconut and soybean drive more species extinction than previously thought

Oils from crops such as coconut, palm oil and soybean are used in a range of applications, from cosmetics and makeup to margarine and spreads, and from medicines to animal feed. These oil crops, as they are known, are increasingly ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / A new way to control tiny quantum light sources by twisting atomically thin layers of hexagonal boron nitride

In a paper published in Science Advances, researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in collaboration with the University of Minnesota and Kyung Hee University have found a new way to control quantum light sources, ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden underground, fungi drive carbon storage, crop health and ecosystem stability

Fungi are key constituents of the soil microbial community, playing a major role in moving carbon and energy through the soil food web. A recent analysis carried out by Professor Matthias C. Rillig from Freie Universität ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Stressed-out soil bacteria adapt to environmental conditions

A new study from Caltech demonstrates that soil bacteria can adapt under stress, particularly when a key nutrient, phosphorus, is running low in their environment. The work is important for understanding the complex relationships ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / 15-atom iridium nanoclusters stay stable 20 hours, outperform commercial catalysts

An international research team from Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Science, Vanderbilt University and the University of Adelaide has discovered a novel, exceptionally simple method to precisely synthesize extremely ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Student makes first recorded sighting of a microwhip scorpion in the Daintree Rainforest

A James Cook University Ph.D. student's late-night solo survey has led to the first recorded sighting of a microwhip scorpion in the Daintree Rainforest. JCU entomologist and taxonomist Matthew Connors works at the university's ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / How H5N1 bird flu hid unrecognized for weeks in dairy cattle

When H5N1 bird flu first began infecting U.S. cattle in early 2024, diagnosis was elusive because, in cows, the disease looked completely different. Instead of affecting the lungs, as H5N1 does in other mammalian species, ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Unearthed bathhouse reveals a thriving Roman Nijmegen: 'The Romans did not regard this city as a backwater'

Excavations in Nijmegen-West have uncovered large sections of a Roman bathhouse. It is the largest bathhouse complex from the Roman period in the Netherlands. Radboud researcher Stephan Mols can often be found at the excavation ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / New technique sharpens predictions of metal alloy behavior by capturing subtle atomic patterns

Companies working at the frontier of aerospace, energy and computing are constantly looking for new materials to improve performance. But in order to understand how those materials will actually behave once they're inside ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Microbial partners may help maize and sorghum respond to higher temperatures

New research suggests the microbiome near the surface of a plant's roots, known as the rhizosphere microbiome, may play a role in helping crops respond to heat stress.

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Shining light into unhatched eggs could allow for chicken 'gender reveals'

Scientists have demonstrated a noninvasive technique that uses light to reveal the hidden contents of chicken eggs, potentially helping to curb the meat industry's practice of killing billions of male chicks at birth. The ...

Jun 19, 2026