Phys.org news

Phys.org / Race for first private space station heats up as NASA set to retire ISS

With NASA's International Space Station set to come out of service in 2030, American aerospace firm Vast has stepped into a frenzied race for the world's first commercial space station.

Nov 13, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Machine learning teaches membranes to sort by chemical affinity

Ultrafiltration membranes used in pharmaceutical manufacturing and other industrial processes have long relied on separating molecules by size. Now, Cornell researchers have created porous materials that filter molecules ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Scientists uncover surprising link between koala and Ice Age 'marsupial lion'

A sleepy koala may seem worlds apart from a giant Ice Age predator, but scientists have uncovered the first molecular evidence linking the two.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Manganese is Lyme disease's double-edge sword

For decades, Lyme disease has frustrated both physicians and patients alike. Caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the infection, if left untreated, can linger for months, leading to fever, fatigue ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Beavers provide a boost for declining pollinators, study reveals

Beaver-created wetlands increase pollinator numbers, boosting biodiversity, according to new research by the University of Stirling.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / New biosensor technology maps enzyme mystery inside cells

Cornell researchers have developed a powerful new biosensor that reveals, in unprecedented detail, how and where kinases—enzymes that control nearly all cellular processes—turn on and off inside living cells.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Wild birds are driving the current US bird flu outbreak

Since late 2021, a panzootic, or "a pandemic in animals," of highly pathogenic bird flu variant H5N1 has devastated wild birds, agriculture, and mammals. Unlike previous outbreaks, aggressive culling of domestic birds has ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Magnetic nanoparticles that successfully navigate complex blood vessels may be ready for clinical trials

Every year, 12 million people worldwide suffer a stroke; many die or are permanently impaired. Currently, drugs are administered to dissolve the thrombus that blocks the blood vessel. These drugs spread throughout the entire ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Mushroom material takes on plastic packaging at Belgian start-up

On a gleaming new production line in Brussels, Julien Jacquet shows off a row of milky-white soap bar wrappers—made by what is billed as Europe's first factory for mushroom-based packaging.

Nov 13, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / A wealth of genes for seed improvement uncovered in living fossils

Seed plants are essential as a source of food, fuel, medicine, and more. Now, a multidisciplinary team of researchers has combined deep botanical knowledge with powerful genomic technology to decode and mine the DNA of non-flowering ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Baker's yeast carrier makes bee propolis a more potent medicine, study finds

A team of researchers from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague has developed a novel method to enhance the natural healing properties of bee propolis, a potent remedy known for its antibacterial, antioxidant, ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Tracing mountain water to its hidden sources

In mountain regions like the Rockies, headwater streams make up more than 70% of the river network and support the downstream waterways and communities. These headwaters are also home to many forms of aquatic life. While ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth