Phys.org news

Phys.org / Designing better membrane proteins by embracing imperfection

Scientists at the VIB–VUB Center for Structural Biology have uncovered a counterintuitive principle that could reshape how membrane proteins are designed from scratch: Sometimes, making a protein less stable helps it fold ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Oxide-based sensor opens door to greener, faster, more accurate quality testing of food

An electrochemical sensor developed at Oregon State University holds promise for making food quality testing faster, more accurate, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive. The novel sensor, which also has potential ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Vitamin B12 drives inherited behavioral changes across generations in roundworms

It has long been known that environmental conditions can shape how traits are inherited, a phenomenon known as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. However, the molecular signals responsible for encoding this biological ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / AI maps 20,000 everyday interactions to reveal how social situations are structured

Psychologists have long known that social situations profoundly influence human behavior, yet have lacked a unified, empirically grounded way to describe them. A new study addresses this problem by using generative AI to ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Deep learning turns weather satellite thermal imagery into hourly ocean current maps

Scientists have developed a new method to measure ocean surface currents over large areas in greater detail than ever before. Called GOFLOW (Geostationary Ocean Flow), the approach applies deep learning to thermal images ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Rapid method uncovers hidden structures in materials—including elusive quasicrystals

An international team of scientists, including researchers from Loughborough University, has developed a method to dramatically speed up the discovery and design of advanced materials. The study, published in Physical Review ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Record-breaking photonics approach traps light on a chip for millions of cycles

For years, scientists have dreamed of using atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) materials to build faster, more efficient photonic chips. These materials can be stacked and tuned with extraordinary precision, opening possibilities ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / First Proba-3 science: Surprisingly speedy solar wind found in inner corona

Since July 2025, the European Space Agency's pair of Proba-3 satellites has already created 57 artificial solar eclipses. So far, the mission has collected more than 250 hours of high-resolution videos of the sun's atmosphere, ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Improved weather forecasts could reduce heat deaths as climate warms

When extreme weather looms, timely and accurate warnings can give people the chance to adjust their plans, brace for danger and, in the most severe cases, make decisions that keep them safe. Does that mean improving weather ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny particles in Arctic ponds may play role in cloud formation and climate change

Tiny particles bubbling up from the tops of melting sea ice into the Arctic sky may be a key, understudied element of cloud formation in that climate-sensitive region.

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / A cheaper, more sustainable way to manufacture breakthrough HIV drug Lenacapavir

Researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) have used engineering biology—an emerging technology that uses nature's own processes to manufacture everyday chemicals and materials—to dramatically simplify ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Disrupting genome architecture selectively impairs developmental genes

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have found that temporarily disabling a protein complex that organizes DNA into loops inside the cell's nucleus drastically disrupted the three-dimensional structure of the genome, but surprisingly, ...

Apr 13, 2026