New supercomputer to help scientists reach for the stars
08 February, 2012A powerful new supercomputer that is 10,000 times faster than an average office computer and big enough to store 2000 years of iTunes music has been installed at The University of Western Australia.
Lizards incubated at higher temperatures have enhanced learning performance
08 February, 2012A hotter home appears to produce babies with better cognitive abilities - but before you turn up the heater, the research was conducted on the Australian lizard Bassiana duperreyi by researchers from the University of Sydney.
Biosceptre develops targeted antibodies for cancer treatment
01 February, 2012 by Lauren DavisBiosceptre has announced that it is about to clinically trial the use of targeted antibodies as a method to treat cancer. At a Sydney conference held on 24 January, it was revealed that the company has identified a receptor found only in cancer cells.
Method for determination of crotamiton
24 January, 2012 | Supplied by: Dionex Pty LtdThermo Fisher Scientific has developed an efficient quality control method for the determination of the cis and trans isomers that comprise crotamiton, used in the treatment of scabies and skin pruritus. The method is more efficient than the official protocols of the British Pharmacopoeia (BP) and Pharmacopeia of the People’s Republic of China (PPRC).
Microbes and fungi provide blueprint for ‘designer soils’
23 January, 2012Newly published research reveals that soils are self-organising systems in which soil structure and microbial activity interact in a dynamic way to maximise the storage of water and carbon.
Secret sex life to help save endangered seagrasses
20 January, 2012Sex plays a much bigger role in the reproduction of vitally important seagrasses than previously thought, according to findings by researchers from The University of Western Australia.
Plant drought alarm signal discovery could help establish natural drought resistance in food crops
20 January, 2012Researchers from The Australian National University have discovered a cellular communication process used by plants to respond to drought. They discovered evidence of a process called retrograde signalling - where chemical signals move between different cellular compartments in the plant Arabidopsis. The movement of these signals switches on a defence mechanism which could help plants cope with drought conditions.
Research identifies mutations underlying human hereditary hearing loss
16 January, 2012Hereditary hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in humans. A German research team led by Ingo Kurth from the Institute of Human Genetics at the University Hospital Jena, Germany, used a number of different methods, including Roche’s NimbleGen Custom Sequence Capture 385K array, to identify the gene mutated in the disease locus of the X-chromosome of a Spanish family with hereditary hearing loss.
Researchers discover particle which could ‘cool the planet’
16 January, 2012Criegee biradicals may have the potential to play a significant role in offsetting global warming by cooling the planet.
Seismometers reveal Australia’s geological history
13 January, 2012Researchers from The Australian National University have used the latest earthquake-measuring technology to image the tectonic plate beneath south-east Australia and reveal for the first time the continent’s geological building blocks.
Educating stem cells reverses Type 1 diabetes
13 January, 2012Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body’s own immune system attacking its pancreatic islet beta cells and requires daily injections of insulin to regulate the patient’s blood glucose levels. A new method described in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Medicine uses stem cells from cord blood to re-educate a diabetic’s own T cells and consequently restart pancreatic function reducing the need for insulin.
Mars rover finds signs of water
02 January, 2012 | Supplied by: maxon motor Australia Pty LtdIn the eighth year of its Mars expedition, rover Opportunity has found evidence that water once existed on Mars.
Star Wars-inspired bacterium provides glimpse into the evolution of life
08 December, 2011
A bacterium whose name was inspired by the Star Wars films has provided new clues into the evolution of our own cells and how they came to possess the vital energy-producing units, mitochondria.
Acquired traits can be inherited via small RNAs
08 December, 2011
Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have found the first direct evidence that an acquired trait can be inherited without any DNA involvement. The findings suggest that Lamarck, whose theory of evolution was eclipsed by Darwin’s, may not have been entirely wrong.
Non-therapeutic use of antibiotics adding to antibiotic resistance loads
01 December, 2011
The evidence that non-therapeutic use of antibiotics is contributing to antibiotic resistance in the broader community is growing and researchers are now arguing for stricter regulation of the practice in the interest of public health.
