Fysik & material

Researchers found that different surfactants used to dissolve poorly soluble drugs have dramatically opposite effects on how well the body absorbs them. The discovery matters for pharma companies reformulating blockbuster drugs and for regulators approving new formulations—picking the wrong surfactant could render an expensive reformulation ineffective.EN

Researchers have identified how kinetic waves trigger energy release during magnetic reconnection—a violent process that powers solar flares and auroras. The findings, based on satellite observations and simulations, could improve forecasting of space weather events that disrupt power grids and communications systems.EN

Researchers in Denmark have developed a high-resolution seismic method that maps hidden salt structures with unprecedented detail—a capability that could unlock new locations for storing captured carbon underground. The technique reveals how salt domes form and deform, information essential for assessing whether geological formations are safe and stable enough for long-term CO2 storage.EN

Researchers have developed a simple surface treatment that makes zirconium-silica dental implants resistant to bacterial infection by bombarding them with nitrogen ions. The technique could extend implant lifespans and reduce costly failures, addressing a major source of implant loss in periodontal disease.EN

Researchers directly observed how waves and particles exchange energy across dramatically different size scales in space plasmas, a process that had been theorized but never clearly seen before. The findings could improve forecasting of solar storms and inform the design of fusion reactors, where similar energy transfer mechanisms occur.EN

The JUICE spacecraft carries a sophisticated radio and plasma detection system that will map electromagnetic conditions around Jupiter's potentially habitable moons. The instrument can sense subsurface water, detect dust impacts, and characterize radiation environments—critical data for assessing which moons warrant future human missions or biosignature searches.EN

Researchers mapped exactly how cracks spread through tungsten grain boundaries — and what happens when phosphorus contaminants are present. The findings could inform material selection and quality standards for aerospace, nuclear, and semiconductor applications where tungsten's brittleness under stress is a critical failure risk.EN

Researchers developed a method to track metabolic changes in living lung tissue exposed to asthma-triggering inflammation, then identified which proteins drive those changes. The advance could accelerate drug discovery for asthma treatments and establish a blueprint for studying other inflammatory diseases in realistic tissue models.EN

Scientists have developed a spectroscopy method that watches electrons move inside molecules in real time, capturing dynamics that standard lab techniques miss. The advance could accelerate development of new semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and materials by letting researchers understand molecular behavior at unprecedented speed and detail.EN

Researchers have mapped the exact molecular structure and layered composition of spider silk—nature's strongest fiber—revealing how spiders manufacture it from water and renewable materials at room temperature. The discovery could accelerate the development of synthetic alternatives for aerospace, defense, and textiles, industries worth billions that have long sought to replicate spider silk's unmatched strength-to-weight ratio.EN

Researchers discovered that a fundamental principle governing x-ray spectroscopy—a workhorse technique for analyzing materials—doesn't actually hold up in certain cases. The finding forces a reinterpretation of decades of experimental data and could reshape how companies and labs read chemical fingerprints in pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and industrial catalysts.EN

Researchers have demonstrated a new way to generate hydrogen using visible light and specially engineered catalysts that convert photons into reactive electrons. The breakthrough settles a long-standing scientific debate about how plasmonic systems work and could accelerate development of cheaper, more efficient hydrogen production—a critical fuel for decarbonizing industry.EN

Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected five impossibly dense star clusters in a galaxy born just 460 million years after the Big Bang. The discovery challenges theories of how the early universe assembled its first stars and could reshape models that predict cosmic evolution and reionization—findings with implications for understanding stellar physics and the universe's foundational structure.EN

Researchers have identified how a chaperone protein called BRICHOS prevents misfolded proteins from clumping into toxic fibers linked to neurodegenerative diseases. The finding could accelerate development of treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's and prion diseases, where protein aggregation drives cellular damage.EN

Magnethavioröringar i kolmolekyler kan modelleras genom beräkningar av magnetiskt inducerad strömtäthet — en egenskap som styr elektroniska och magnetiska egenskaper i nanostrukturer. Forskare från Helsingfors, Linköping och Mainz har tillämpat flera beräkningsmetoder (DFT, MP2, CCSD, CASSCF) för att kartlägga ringströmmars topologi i kolisomerer. Resultaten klargör hur elektronernas rörelse under magnetfält påverkar molekylstrukturen. För materialteknik är denna kunskap relevant vid utveckling av kolbaserade halvledare och organiska elektronikkomponenter, där magnetisk responsivitet direkt påverkar enhetsprestanda. Studien möjliggör bättre förutsägelse av magnetisk susceptibilitet — en kritisk parameter vid val av kolmaterial för sensorer och lågenergielektronik. Arbetet utgör grund för optimering av kolmolekylers elektroniska egenskaper innan industriell implementering, vilket förkortar utvecklingscykeln från laboratorium till applikation.

Researchers at Japan's Large Helical Device found that spraying lithium granules—a standard technique to improve plasma performance—unexpectedly accelerates the escape of heavy metals like molybdenum from fusion cores. The discovery matters because stellarators and other fusion designs rely on keeping contaminants contained; if wall coatings degrade confinement, it could undermine efficiency gains and complicate reactor operations.EN

Researchers propose a new atom-based detector that could reveal physics beyond current scientific understanding by measuring impossibly small quantum effects. The approach offers an alternative to expensive particle colliders and could accelerate discovery of fundamental forces shaping the universe.EN

Researchers have identified how to detect charged excitons—a key building block in doped 2D materials—using a specialized imaging technique. The discovery enables better understanding of how these materials behave when electrically doped, crucial for developing next-generation semiconductors and quantum devices at scale.EN

Researchers have cracked a decades-old puzzle about why certain signatures of galactic winds are rarely observed, despite being theoretically abundant. The discovery could transform how scientists map gas flows around galaxies—critical for understanding galaxy evolution, star formation, and the mechanisms that regulate cosmic structure.EN

Researchers have developed qNEP, a machine-learning tool that dramatically accelerates simulations of how materials respond to electric fields—a critical property for designing batteries, semiconductors, and insulators. The advance could slash computational costs for industries relying on electrostatic modeling, from pharmaceuticals to electronics manufacturers.EN

Researchers have identified and corrected a major source of error in computational chemistry tools widely used by pharmaceutical companies to predict drug behavior. By training an AI model on quantum physics calculations, they achieved threefold improvement in hydration free energy predictions—a critical metric for assessing how drug candidates will behave in the body.EN

Researchers have created the first fully integrated potassium sensor using standard 3D printing technology, eliminating the need for expensive lab equipment or skilled technicians to assemble it. The breakthrough could accelerate deployment of portable diagnostics in clinics, sports medicine, and environmental monitoring—reducing both costs and time to result.EN

Researchers have developed a cleaner mathematical framework for calculating how particles interact at the subatomic level, making complex quantum computations more tractable. The advance could accelerate simulations used in particle physics research and potentially improve computational tools that depend on precise quantum calculations.EN

Researchers have deployed neural networks to dramatically improve how scientists identify and measure ultra-high-energy neutrinos from space using radio antennas buried in ice. The technique cuts uncertainty in energy measurements by up to 75%, a critical step toward understanding cosmic particle sources and validating next-generation detector investments at the South Pole and Greenland.EN

Researchers have developed a way to grow graphene directly on substrates, eliminating a manufacturing bottleneck that introduces defects and contamination. The transfer-free approach could cut production costs and improve the material's performance in electronics and sensors—removing a major hurdle to commercial graphene applications.EN