Phys.org news

Phys.org / Low-cost genome sequencing approach is powering genetics research on mental illness and many other studies

For researchers on the hunt for the genetic roots of disease, the cost of deep whole-genome sequencing makes it challenging to conduct large genetic studies involving thousands of participants, which are needed to reveal ...

Jul 12, 2026
Phys.org / Patterned frozen soils get their shape from gravity and funky physics

Hillslopes in Arctic regions with frozen soils can host a suite of geometric patterns, from circles and stripes to polygonal patterned ground. They can also have solifluction patterns, or markings left behind when partially ...

Jul 12, 2026
Phys.org / New method brings single-particle quality control to nanocrystal manufacturing

Nanocrystals are already used in millions of devices, including televisions, laptops and displays, and are considered key materials for the next generation of quantum, sensing and solar technologies. However, they have not ...

Jul 12, 2026
Phys.org / Climate oscillations shape nature's coral refuges in a warming ocean

Why do some coral reefs weather marine heat waves better than others? A new study published in Scientific Reports shows that the answer may lie not only in local ocean conditions, but also in climate patterns that span entire ...

Jul 12, 2026
Phys.org / X-ray tracking reveals uneven expansion in young supernova remnant G292.0+1.8

By analyzing data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Dutch astronomers have investigated a young, oxygen-rich supernova remnant known as G292.0+1.8. Results of the new study, published June 29 on the arXiv preprint server, ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Immune cells get transformed into fungus-fighting nanoparticles

Tiny particles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. Engineers at the University of California San Diego created antifungal ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Synthetic rotation brings black hole energy theory into lab, amplifying waves

More than half a century ago, Sir Roger Penrose envisioned a scenario in which energy could be extracted from a black hole spinning at extreme speeds. He proposed that a particle entering its ergosphere—a region of space ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: Blue zone longevity; soft tissue find predates dinosaurs; black hole collisions simplified

This week, researchers reported finding nanoplastics in Antarctic soils for the first time, suggesting they were delivered via long-range atmospheric transport. A study associates the use of hormonal birth control with the ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Cast away: Tracing the voyage of a plastic bottle cap and its hitchhiking marine species

Researchers have traced the journey of a plastic bottle cap recovered near the waters of southern Japan by combining data from the label, chemical clues in tiny shells and ocean current simulations. They found 307 organisms, ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Heavy traffic can turn flower-rich verges into bumblebee traps, study finds

Flower-rich road verges may attract hungry bumblebees, but at the same time, they can be dangerous for the buzzing insects—if traffic is too heavy. The new research from Lund University in Sweden examined the role roadsides ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Ribosome-based gene circuit lets cells read six signals and trigger responses

The molecular machinery that normally builds proteins inside cells has now taken on a new role as a "switch." A research team at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has developed a new 'RNA-based smart gene ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / When species are forced to move: Prediction models underestimate climate-related extinction risk

Climate change threatens many plant and animal species not only when their habitats disappear as climatic conditions change, but also when those habitats shift. In a new study, a team of University of Potsdam researchers ...

Jul 11, 2026