Phys.org news

Phys.org / H5N1 in marine mammals is spreading: Research tallies over 50,000 seals and sea lions killed along South America's coast

When the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was discovered on a poultry farm in Asia in 1996, there was little indication that it would become so widespread and so destructive. Within 30 years, it reached every ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / Clearing the nanoscale bottleneck holding back next-gen electronics

Researchers at UCLA have discovered a way to dramatically improve how electrical current enters perovskite semiconductors, an emerging class of materials with enormous potential for next-generation electronics. Their research ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / No exotic physics needed: A new formation mechanism of skyrmions inside magnets

Skyrmions, in which electron spins inside a magnet are arranged like vortices, are a key structure in next-generation spintronics technology. KAIST researchers have shown that skyrmions can form using only the fundamental ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / Engineered nanoparticles show enhanced intrinsic luminescence for biomedical imaging and cancer treatment

The Nanomedicine and Nanotoxicology Group (GNano) at the University of São Paulo's São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP) in Brazil has discovered a way to transform hydroxyapatite, a bioceramic material, into a nanoparticle ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / An AI-guided gene-editing tool for more precise and safer DNA correction

Researchers at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) have developed a revolutionary new method to improve compact gene-editing tools known as base editors, which enable smaller, ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular enhancements help plants light up when they're under attack

Imagine that plants could tell us exactly when they're stressed, infected, or being eaten by insects, by lighting up. A new study led by Dr. Karen Sarkisyan, Head of the Synthetic Biology group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / Milkweed evolves 'mind-blowing' tactic to fight monarchs

Milkweed has found a new strategy in its epic evolutionary battle with monarch butterflies: upgrading its toxins to outmaneuver the monarch's resistance. In a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / The best places to look for alien life: Scientists identify 45 Earth-like worlds to explore for a 'Project Hail Mary'

If we're to find extraterrestrial life in the universe, astronomers have pinpointed the best places to look for it. They have identified just under 50 rocky worlds most likely to be habitable out of the more than 6,000 exoplanets ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / Changing leafcutter ants' food reshapes their microbial gardens, scientists find

A colony of leafcutter ants is home to more than just one species. Each year, studies reveal new layers of complexity in these ecosystems, where various fungi and bacteria thrive alongside the ants, resulting in countless ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / 'Mini earthquakes' turn tiny chips into radio signal powerhouses

From GPS satellites to mobile networks, modern technology relies on ultra-precise radio signals. Engineers have long tried to generate them on chips using interactions between light and sound, but the effect was too weak. ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / Ultra-thin MoSe₂ grating traps infrared light in a 40-nanometer layer

Controlling light at the micro- and nanoscale opens up opportunities for a better understanding of the world and the development of technology. As modern electronics approaches the limits of its capabilities, photonics comes ...

Mar 19, 2026
Phys.org / A multi-lane highway for light: Topology helps build more robust photonic networks

Penn-led researchers have shown for the first time that multiple, information-carrying light signals can be safely guided through chip-based, reconfigurable networks using topology, the esoteric branch of mathematics that ...

Mar 19, 2026