Phys.org news

Phys.org / Overlooked molecule points to new treatments for drug-resistant fungal infections

Fungal infections kill millions of people each year, and modern medicine is struggling to keep up. But researchers at McMaster University have identified a molecule that may help turn the tide—butyrolactol A, a chemical ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Supernova remnant video from NASA's Chandra is decades in making

A new video shows the evolution of Kepler's Supernova Remnant using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory captured over more than two and a half decades.

Jan 7, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Marine geoscientists link warming with ancient ocean 'salty blob'

Climate change has many culprits, from agriculture to transportation to energy production. Now, add another: the deep ocean salty blob.

Jan 7, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Four baby planets show how super-Earths and sub-Neptunes form

Thanks to the discovery of thousands of exoplanets to date, we know that planets bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune orbit most stars. Oddly, our sun lacks such a planet. That's been a source of frustration for planetary ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Small-scale rainforest clearing drives majority of carbon loss, study finds

Think of the destruction of Earth's rainforests and a familiar image may come to mind: fires or chainsaws tearing through enormous swaths of the Amazon, releasing masses of planet-warming carbon dioxide.

Jan 7, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Urban atmosphere acts as primary reservoir of microplastics, researchers find

Over the past two decades, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have been recognized as emerging pollutants, detected across every environmental compartment of Earth's system—the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Sentinel-1's decade of essential data over shifting ice sheets

The extent and speed of ice moving off the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica into the sea—an important dynamic for climate and sea-rise modeling—has been captured over a 10-year period by satellites from the Copernicus ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Boosting the cell's own cleanup: New class of small molecules accelerate natural protein degradation

Cells have a remarkable housekeeping system: Proteins that are no longer needed, defective, or potentially harmful are labeled with a molecular "tag" and dismantled in the cellular recycling machinery. This process, known ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / CRISPR discovery could lead to single diagnostic test for COVID, flu, RSV

Across all domains of life, immune defenses foil invading viruses by making it impossible for the viruses to replicate. Most known CRISPR systems target invading pathogens' DNA and chop it up to disable and modify genes, ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Ushikuvirus: Newly discovered giant virus may offer clues to the origin of life

The origin of life on Earth becomes even more fascinating and complex as we peer into the mysterious world of viruses. Said to have existed since living cells first appeared, these microscopic entities differ greatly from ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How rice viruses manipulate plant defenses to protect insect vectors

Planthoppers and leafhoppers not only feed on rice plants but also act as highly efficient vectors for plant viruses, causing substantial yield losses worldwide. Notably, their persistent ability to evade natural enemies ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Sandblasting on Mars: Camera reveals how prevailing winds shape elongated landforms in volcanic zone

Martian winds can have quite an impact. ESA's Mars Express has spotted them whipping up sand grains and acting as a cosmic sandblaster, carving out intriguing grooves near Mars's equator.

Jan 7, 2026 in Astronomy & Space