Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nanobody repairs misfolded CFTR inside cells, boosting function in cystic fibrosis

A tiny antibody component could fundamentally transform the treatment of cystic fibrosis: For the first time, researchers have succeeded in developing a so-called nanobody that penetrates directly into human cells and can ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Warmer streams may be draining river food webs by sending more carbon into the air

Rising stream temperatures may be weakening the foundation of river food webs by altering how carbon moves through these watery ecosystems. In a new study published in the journal Ecosphere, researchers from Northern Arizona ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers directly observe muonic molecules critical to muon catalyzed fusion

Scientists have directly observed muonic molecules in resonance states for the first time, using a high-resolution X-ray detector, a new Science Advances study reports.

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Volunteers discover rare space weather events using their ears

Our planet rests inside a magnetic cocoon filled with plasma—but it's not always peaceful and quiet. Activity from the sun can send waves through this space, and some of those disturbances can even reach Earth, affecting ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / As modern crops turn 'lazy' underground, old sorghum may hold key to future food security

A greater focus on roots during plant breeding could ensure staple grain crops continue to feed the world as recycled nutrients substitute conventional fertilizers in the future, a University of Queensland study published ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Shrink, remove and modify: Team successfully 'trims' wheat chromosomes

For the first time, a research team at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has succeeded in reducing the size of, or even completely removing, chromosomes in plants with large genomes, such ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Q&A: Will agentic AI replace human scientists?

An emerging type of artificial intelligence, known as "agentic" AI, seems to do everything that biomedical scientists do—and often, does it faster. This next-generation technology can interpret experimental data, report the ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / AI-powered tool could speed treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria by pinpointing potent peptides

A newly designed AI-powered tool is effective in developing treatments to attack antibiotic-resistant bacteria by breaking down their outer defenses, according to new research from Houston Methodist. The study, published ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / If birds are fancy dancers, are they smarter, too?

Does a male bird with a long and complex courtship dance have superior cognitive abilities? Simply put, is a talented dancer a smarter bird? To answer the question, researchers at Université de Montréal studied the zebra ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Ocean bottom seismometers could improve earthquake warning times in Pacific Northwest

If there is a magnitude 8 or 9 megathrust earthquake off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, data from ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) could improve earthquake detection times calculated by the ShakeAlert system.

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Catching a scramblase in the act could pave the way to improved blood disorder and cancer treatments

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have revealed the detailed workings of a cell membrane protein that has essential roles in all animals. The discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategies for blood coagulation disorders, ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Weighing in on the mystery of the gravitational constant

The time had come to open the envelope, but Stephan Schlamminger, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), wasn't sure he wanted to know the secret number that lay inside. For the past 10 ...

Apr 16, 2026