Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nanopores that act like electrical gates pave way for ion-based computing

Pore-forming proteins are found throughout nature. In humans, they play key roles in immune defense, while in bacteria they often act as toxins that punch holes in cell membranes. These biological pores allow ions and molecules ...

Nov 11, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / How life first got moving: Nature's motor from billions of years ago

Research led by the University of Auckland has cast light on the evolutionary origins of one of nature's first motors, which developed 3.5 billion to 4 billion years ago to propel bacteria.

Nov 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists find evolutionary explanation for 'irrational' dread risk behavior

The evolution of the so-called dread risk response has been explained by new research. People often respond to low-probability, high-consequence events like terror attacks or nuclear accidents with a dread risk response. ...

Nov 11, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / How continents peel from below to trigger oceanic volcanoes

Earth scientists have discovered how continents are slowly peeled from beneath, fueling volcanic activity in an unexpected place: the oceans.

Nov 11, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Electric fields steer nanoparticles through a liquid-filled maze, offering improved drug delivery and purification

In the home, the lab and the factory, electric fields control technologies such as Kindle displays, medical diagnostic tests and devices that purify cancer drugs. In an electric field, anything with an electrical charge—from ...

Nov 11, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Destroying crazy ant nest structure makes them vulnerable to pathogens

Invasive tawny crazy ants have been wreaking havoc across the U.S. Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas, disrupting ecosystems and causing headaches for homeowners. Now scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have devised ...

Nov 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / AI is powering the search for America's critical minerals

They power green energy, enhance defense systems, and drive the future of microelectronics. Known as critical minerals, elements like lithium, cobalt, and nickel are vital to national security and innovation. Yet the U.S. ...

Nov 11, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Artificial enzyme combines vitamin B2 with metal for next-generation catalysts

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) acts as an important coenzyme that helps convert food into energy within the body. Korean researchers have successfully created a new artificial enzyme for the first time in the world by combining ...

Nov 11, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Angstrom-level imaging and 2D surfaces allow real-time tracking and steering of DNA

Pictures of DNA often look very tidy—the strands of the double helix neatly wind around each other, making it seem like studying genetics should be relatively straightforward. In truth, these strands aren't often so perfectly ...

Nov 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Polar climate change could amplify global health risks, study warns

Climate change in Earth's polar regions is emerging as an underrecognized driver of global health risks, with consequences reaching far beyond the Arctic and Antarctic, researchers argue.

Nov 11, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Nanorobots guide stem cells to become bone cells via precise pressure

For the first time, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have succeeded in using nanorobots to stimulate stem cells with such precision that they are reliably transformed into bone cells. To achieve this, ...

Nov 11, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / China's stranded astronauts 'in good condition' after space debris delays planned return

The stranded crew of a Chinese space mission is "in good condition, working and living normally," China's Manned Space Engineering office said on Tuesday.

Nov 11, 2025 in Astronomy & Space