Phys.org news

Phys.org / Antibiotics could trigger immune response through gut microbiome metabolites

The microbes inside our bodies not only help break down food but also impact our health. Yet their precise influence is not always understood, especially in the presence of prescription drugs.

21 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Nursery web spider uses legs to 'sniff out' its partners

Male nursery web spiders (Pisaura mirabilis) use the sense of smell in their legs to find mates. Researchers at the University of Greifswald used an electron microscope to discover "olfactory hairs" on the legs of adult males. ...

19 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Chemists synthesize a fungal compound that holds promise for treating brain cancer

For the first time, MIT chemists have synthesized a fungal compound known as verticillin A, which was discovered more than 50 years ago and has shown potential as an anticancer agent.

20 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Water-resistant and recyclable redox-active MOFs enable stable energy storage in acidic solutions

Redox-active metal-organic frameworks (RAMOFs) are highly porous materials made of metals and organic molecules linked together by coordination bonds, and they contain redox-active sites that can store electrons (protons). ...

20 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / A new tunable cell-sorting device with potential biomedical applications

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel undergoes significant but precise changes in size between 20°C and 40°C, making it an excellent candidate for use in variable-size deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) array ...

20 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Fish freshness easily monitored with a new sensor

To see if a fish is fresh, people recommend looking at its eyes and gills or giving it a sniff. But a more accurate check for food quality and safety is to look for compounds that form when decomposition starts.

21 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Debris disk gallery shows tell-tale signs of asteroids and comets in distant solar systems

Observations with the instrument SPHERE at ESO's Very Large Telescope have produced an unprecedented gallery of "debris disks" in exoplanetary systems.

Dec 3, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Epigenetics linked to high-altitude adaptation in Andes

DNA sequencing technology makes it possible to explore the genome to learn how humans adapted to live in a wide range of environments. Research has shown, for instance, that Tibetans living at high altitude in the Himalayas ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Tailored single atom platforms hold promise for next-generation catalysis

Catalysts play a vital role in modern society, supporting processes from metallurgy to pharmaceutical production. To reduce environmental impact and maximize efficiency, science has pushed the boundaries between homogeneous ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Terrestrial biodiversity grows with tree cover in agricultural landscapes

Farmers plant or preserve riparian buffers for various reasons, such as improving water quality, controlling erosion, or maintaining hunting habitat. Now, a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign underscores ...

Dec 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Cats adjust their communication strategy by meowing more when greeting men

As many cat owners will testify, their pets are often mysterious creatures, independent, cunning and sometimes aloof. And now it appears that when it comes to communication, they might be playing favorites. A new study published ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Alaknanda: JWST discovers massive grand-design spiral galaxy from the universe's infancy

A spiral galaxy, shaped much like our Milky Way, has been found in an era when astronomers believed such well-formed galaxies could not yet exist. Two astronomers from India have identified a remarkably mature galaxy just ...

Dec 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space