Phys.org news

Phys.org / Fast-moving droplets synthesize key drug compounds at room temperature, no catalysts needed

Chemical reactions are the backbone to nearly all biological processes, including those used to make new medicines. However, these reactions can often take considerable time and require harsh conditions or materials—potentially ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / From hybrids to 'virgin birth,' stick insects reveal stepwise loss of sex

The evolution of sex remains one of biology's greatest puzzles. While sexual reproduction dominates across the animal kingdom, scientists still debate why it persists despite its high costs. Even more mysterious is the loss ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Living brain gene activity revealed noninvasively through programmable blood test

Cell function is determined by how DNA is expressed into proteins. That process includes two main steps—transcription, when messenger RNA (mRNA) makes copies of active genes; and translation, when mRNA guides protein assembly.

Jun 1, 2026
Dialog / Bridged or not? Scientists uncover a key step in hydrogenase assembly

How does nature build one of the most sophisticated catalytic metal centers found in biology? An international team of researchers has now resolved a long-standing debate surrounding the assembly of the active site of [FeFe]-hydrogenases—enzymes ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Understanding how things connect helps people invent, 1,200-player experiment suggests

Our capacity for innovation, rather than being the work of random variation, is based on an intrinsic understanding of how the world works, claim Karolinska Institutet and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam researchers in a new ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Wounds may trigger 'aged' cells within hours, reshaping how senescence starts

What if a process we associate with aging actually helps the body heal? A study led by Mikolaj Ogrodnik, LBI Trauma, published in Nature Cell Biology, shows that cells enter a state of senescence within minutes to hours after ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Microbes turn biodiesel byproduct into three nylon building blocks, opening greener route

Nylon is a representative plastic material used throughout our daily lives, from clothing to automobiles. However, most of its raw materials have been produced through petrochemical processes, resulting in large carbon emissions. ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Enzymes that assemble into droplets can speed up cellular reactions, biologists find

Within the past decade, biologists have discovered that one strategy cells use to keep their contents organized is a phenomenon known as phase separation. Similar to the way oil forms droplets that float in a vinegar solution, ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Low-cost workflow creates 100,000 uniform cell capsules with standard lab tools

Cells are typically studied outside the body under controlled laboratory conditions. However, conventional flat cell culture methods do not fully reproduce the complex three-dimensional environments that cells experience ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Cold-grown plankton shells sharpen Arctic climate reconstructions

Researchers at iC3 have found a way to improve records of past high latitude ocean change using tiny plankton shells called foraminifera. By growing these foraminifera under controlled cold-water conditions, the team has ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Young and unemployed? Remote work, not AI, may be the problem, study finds

The rise of remote work since the pandemic has made businesses more reluctant to hire young, inexperienced workers and is the key driver of higher unemployment rates for recent college graduates, a study released Monday has ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient oceans began suffocating millions of years before Triassic mass extinction, geologists discover

One of the most devastating extinctions in Earth's history is best known for what didn't die—dinosaurs. But the end-Triassic extinction 201 million years ago wiped out roughly 60% of Earth's species, and scientists are still ...

Jun 1, 2026