Phys.org news

Phys.org / Researchers synthesize photosynthetic molecule found in bacteria

Researchers from North Carolina State University have successfully synthesized bacteriochlorophyll a, which is a photosynthetic pigment found in bacteria that absorbs infrared light. The work represents the first chemical ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum simulations reveal spin transport in 1D materials

Researchers from the Department of Energy's Quantum Science Center (QSC) headquartered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have achieved a significant milestone by demonstrating the first digital quantum simulations of ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Bolivian mummy rewrites scarlet fever's past, suggesting killer bacterium circulated centuries before colonization

Researchers have identified the genetic material of scarlet fever while examining a tooth from a naturally mummified skull housed at MUNARQ, the National Museum of Archaeology in La Paz. Using a method that reassembled previously ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / As polar ice changes, so do the rules governing it

Sea ice is not just solid frozen water. It's riddled with tiny pockets and channels of liquid brine. Whether those pockets connect to form pathways determines whether seawater, nutrients and gases can move through the ice, ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Pill bugs don't just use the minerals they eat—they rebuild them inside their bodies

Placing small stones in a bug cage is beneficial when raising pill bugs, a type of woodlouse. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered that pill bugs do not directly incorporate ingested calcium carbonate ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / 'Safe' fertilizer linked to extreme water quality loss in Canadian Prairies

Research published in Nature Water found that widespread application of the common farm fertilizer, urea, severely degrades water quality in the Canadian Prairies. Researchers at the University of Manitoba and the University ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Machine learning tool pinpoints optimal locations for tree planting, offering a powerful tool for climate mitigation

Afforestation—establishing forests on previously non-forested land, or where forests have not existed for a long time—is one of the nature-based and cost-effective solutions for climate change mitigation because it offsets ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Emerging in Alaska, dominant H5N1 strain spread continent-wide through migratory birds

An international group of scientists mapped the spread of the current dominant strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus through North American bird populations in 2024. Led by scientists from St. Jude Children's ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Multitasking quantum sensors can measure several properties at once

A special class of sensors leverages quantum properties to measure tiny signals at levels that would be impossible using classical sensors alone. Such quantum sensors are currently being used to study the inner workings of ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Marine sponge bacterium enzyme reveals a two-part route to make terpenoids

The molecular structure of an enzyme from a marine bacterium with potential industrial uses has been determined by RIKEN researchers. The insights they have gained could help make a range of useful compounds through genetic ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient seabird guano reveals how climate change may shape future populations

By analyzing peat cores, researchers have shown how populations of nesting seabirds have fluctuated on a sub-Antarctic island over 8,000 years. They found that bird numbers rose and fell alongside shifts in climate, offering ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Drought takes a heavy toll on bumblebees

Drought significantly reduces the reproductive success of bumblebee colonies, according to a new study conducted by a research team at the University of Würzburg and published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological ...

Apr 15, 2026