Phys.org news

Phys.org / Composing nanomaterials—open-source platform unites AI and automated synthesis

LMU researcher Professor Alexander Urban and his team have developed a tool that could revolutionize the design of new materials. Synthesizer is a platform that combines automated chemical synthesis, high-throughput characterization, ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Exploring metabolic noise opens new paths to better biomanufacturing

Much like humans, microbial organisms can be fickle in their productivity. One moment they're cranking out useful chemicals in vast fermentation tanks, metabolizing feed to make products from pharmaceuticals and supplements ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / The sky's hidden ecosystem: Radar reveals an organized, living habitat

When people think about habitats on Earth, they likely picture forests, oceans or grasslands. Few think to look up. Yet the lower atmosphere, or troposphere, may be the largest habitat on the planet. A new study published ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How gender bias influences math education

Young children are more inclined to believe incorrect math information from men than accurate information from women, according to a Rutgers University–New Brunswick study published in the journal Developmental Science.

Jan 15, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / When lightning strikes: Models of multi-ignition wildfires could predict catastrophic events

Multi-ignition wildfires are not overly common. But when individual fires do converge, the consequences can be catastrophic. The largest fire on record in California, the 2020 August Complex fire, grew from the coalescence ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Overcoming symmetry limits in photovoltaics through surface engineering

A recent study carried out by researchers from EHU, the Materials Physics Center, nanoGUNE, and DIPC introduces a novel approach to solar energy conversion and spintronics. The work tackles a long-standing limitation in the ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Flowers shape the spread of viruses among wild bees, study finds

A recent study shows that viruses in wild bees are closely linked to the flowers they visit and the availability of floral resources across the landscape. Researchers found that certain floral communities increase the likelihood ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Disinfecting drinking water produces potentially toxic byproducts—new AI model is helping to identify them

Disinfecting drinking water prevents the spread of deadly waterborne diseases by killing infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. Without disinfection, even clear-looking water can carry pathogens that can ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Scientists watch cell receptors respond in real time as drugs bind

A research team of the University Medical Center Mainz has succeeded in observing for the first time how G protein-coupled receptors in living cells actually respond to activating substances. The scientists discovered that ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Long-term pesticide exposure accelerates aging and shortens lifespan in fish

Long-term exposure to low levels of a common agricultural pesticide can accelerate physiological aging and shorten lifespan in fish—a finding from new research led by University of Notre Dame biologist Jason Rohr with potentially ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Ocean impacts nearly double economic cost of climate change, study finds

For the first time, a study by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego integrates climate-related damages to the ocean into the social cost of carbon—a measure of economic ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Same moves, different terrain: How bacteria navigate complex environments without changing their playbook

Just like every other creature, bacteria have evolved creative ways of getting around. Sometimes this is easy, like swimming in open water, but navigating more confined spaces poses different challenges.

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology