Phys.org news

Phys.org / Tracing extracellular vesicles' journey from cancer cells to urine

Cancer cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) can travel from distant tumors through the bloodstream and kidneys and be excreted into urine, as reported by researchers at Science Tokyo. Using sophisticated molecular ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Microbial assembly line makes plastic upcycling programmable

By converting plastic waste into a microbe-friendly food source, scientists have built an upcycling pipeline that turns the waste into a variety of useful products. The findings are detailed in the journal Nature Sustainability.

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Debugging a quantum processor: New method pinpoints qubit errors during logical operations

Researchers at the University of Innsbruck, together with partners from Sydney and Waterloo, have presented a new diagnostic method for quantum computers. It makes errors in individual quantum bits visible during logical ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Why conversation is more like a dance than an exchange of words

Think about the last time you told a story to a friend. You probably adjusted it halfway through. You saw their eyebrows lift. You noticed them lean in, or glance away. You clarified a detail. You sped up the ending. That ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Charred pot residues reveal prehistoric Europeans' surprisingly complex cuisines

Thousands of years ago, European communities used a variety of plant and animal products to create elaborate meals, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Lara González Carretero of the University ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Smarter mangrove protection: Study links a 7.3% area boost to 13.3% resilience gain

A global study of mangroves has found that a modest boost in conserved areas could significantly increase their ability to adapt to the changing climate, including rising sea levels. University of Queensland Ph.D. candidate ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Irrigation gaps in weather models could skew air quality forecasts, study finds

Outdoor air pollution is estimated to contribute to more than 100,000 premature deaths in the United States each year, according to the National Weather Service. Accurate air quality forecasts—designed to protect public ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Simulation makes it possible to study movements of cell's largest protein complexes without supercomputers

Large protein machines in the body carry out many of the cell's most essential tasks, from energy production to the regulation of signal transmission. Although they can now be imaged in great detail using cryo-electron microscopy, ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Climate change pushes tropical insects to their heat limit

Up to half of the insects in the Amazon region could be exposed to life-threatening heat levels due to progressive, anthropogenic global warming. This is shown by a recent study by the universities of Würzburg and Bremen.

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Influenza's molecular theft caught in action—how the virus steals the cap of host RNA in order to replicate

The cold season is in full swing, throats are scratchy and noses are running. We feel ill and hope it is not the flu. The influenza virus continues to pose a threat to our health. It triggers seasonal epidemics and, from ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Drinking water at risk long after wildfires, study warns

Canada's drinking water can remain at risk long after wildfires burn out, according to a UBC-led global review that found water-quality impacts often emerge months or years later—not just immediately after a fire. Researchers ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Möbius-inspired surface controls light in two directions

Light is an unusually rich carrier of information. Its direction of travel, wavelength, and polarization can all be used to encode signals or images. Yet controlling these properties independently remains difficult, especially ...

Mar 4, 2026