Phys.org news

Phys.org / Newfound fungal nutrient-sensing mechanism could advance biofuels and disease control

Scientists have taken a step toward a better understanding of how fungi sense and respond to nutrients in the environment, which is critical for engineering fungi for green technologies and combating fungal pathogens and ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Portable metasurface biosensor turns molecular signals into images, bypassing spectrometers

What if signs of disease could be detected using nothing more than a tiny chip that fits in the palm of your hand and a camera, without ever visiting a hospital? A scene that once seemed possible only in science fiction has ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / How accurately can we measure the ocean's deepest point?

How deep is the deepest ocean—and how precisely can we actually measure it? A Japanese research team led by the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), SOKENDAI, the University of Tokyo and other Japanese institutions ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Is dark matter 'natural?' Physicist puts the question to the test

Dark matter is one of the oldest open problems in physics. It makes up most of the matter in the universe and shapes how galaxies form and move, yet no one has ever directly detected it. Physicists have proposed dozens of ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Disorder is key to tuning a high-temperature superconductor

Cornell physicists have discovered that minimizing disorder, not varying electron count, is the key factor for controlling superconductivity in the unique material iron selenide (FeSe), a new insight for understanding high-temperature ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Laser shocks turn plastic into ultra-small, high-purity nanodiamonds

Nanodiamonds are tiny diamond particles that usually measure mere millionths of a millimeter. They are extremely hard, stable and heat-resistant and highly adaptable for various purposes in medicine, new materials, catalysis ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Electron and photon beams drive same gold-forming reaction toward different nanoscale structures

Beauty and mystery—it is hard to imagine a more alluring combination, and this is precisely what we encounter when we observe phenomena in the nanoworld. But are we really sure that observations made using modern microscopic ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Wild honeybee populations in the EU are on the Red List for the first time

Populations of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) are under immense pressure in the wild in Europe. New research published in Conservation Science and Practice from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and Agroscope ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Vapor-phase synthesis of MXenes could expand their technological applications

MXenes are two-dimensional nanomaterials first synthesized at Drexel University in 2011. They have been recognized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry as an emerging technology with "true potential to ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Beaver reintroduction improves peatland water storage and drought resilience

A study led by a doctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool has found that beavers may help restore degraded peatlands by keeping landscapes wetter and making them more resilient to drought.

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Activated learning-and-memory protein forms growing molecular chains, imaging reveals

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University, Kyoto University, SOKENDAI and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences have revealed how CaMKIIα—a key brain protein involved ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Amazonian study identifies most effective ways of conserving biodiversity and carbon

As the 2026 El Niño intensifies across the Amazon, new research highlights the urgent need to better protect the region's remaining forests from disturbances.

Sep 17, 2026