Phys.org news

Phys.org / New ligand design balances radical generation and catalyst regeneration for challenging chemical reactions

Radicals, atoms or molecules that readily react with other substances to form new bonds, are useful tools for building complex substances such as pharmaceuticals. But even when a radical is generated efficiently, the reaction ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / Planetary Health Check 2026 finds mounting pressures across Earth's life support systems

Seven breached Planetary Boundaries continue to worsen as record ocean heat, droughts, floods, wildfires and extreme heat reveal an Earth system under strain, according to the latest Planetary Health Check. The annual update ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / Sequencing genomes from museum collections could transform scientific inquiry

Natural history collections around the world collectively hold more than 1 billion specimens, spanning a wide variety of times and places. These include species that are extinct or come from areas now transformed beyond recognition, ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / Low-cost sensor tracks soil pH continuously for months across varied soils

At first glance, a farm field doesn't seem all that complicated. It's just dirt and crops.

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / New nanoparticle drug-delivery method may improve treatment for endometriosis

Researchers have engineered a drug treatment that shows rapid effectiveness against endometriosis in early testing, laying the foundation for a potential therapy for an incurable, chronic disease that affects 1 in 10 women. ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / Under stress, bacterial RNA and proteins tell different stories

During infection, bacteria encounter rapidly changing and stressful environments inside the body. To understand how they adapt, researchers often measure messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries information from genes that can ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / How migrating cells build their leading edge: Master regulator may resolve long-standing debate

The ability of cells to move and change position is essential for various processes in our bodies. Immune cells move to sites of action, epithelial cells migrate during wound closure, and neurons extend their axons for signal ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / A 'rebellious' exoplanet orbits in the opposite direction of its star

A star and its planets form when a cloud of gas and dust collapses in on itself somewhere in space. The cloud then forms a disk around the nascent star, within which the planets will form. This protostar and its disk then ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / Lemur uses opera singer's trick to belt out forest songs

We are often left open-mouthed in awe as an opera singer hits a soaring top note. Now, researchers at the University of Warwick have found that the indri, the world's only known singing lemur, appears to use a strikingly ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / Environmental science takes an average of seven years to influence international policy, study finds

A new study led by the University of Alicante (UA) and the Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies (CEAM) analyzes the barriers separating scientific knowledge from environmental policy and its effective implementation. ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum communication protocol enables three users to establish a shared secure key

Quantum key distribution allows two users to establish secret keys whose security is grounded in the laws of quantum mechanics. Extending this capability to multiple users is an essential step toward quantum networks that ...

Sep 21, 2026
Phys.org / AI-powered barcode unmasks 'zombie cells' in aging tissue

As we age, some of the cells in our body enter a state of senescence, in which they stop dividing but do not die. Those senescent cells can contribute to age-related disorders such as cancer, tissue degeneration and inflammatory ...

Sep 21, 2026