Research & development

Genetic test predicts IVF success

17 January, 2011

It has been found that different subtypes of the FMR1 gene (also known as the fragile X mental retardation gene) in potential mothers are associated with significantly different chances of conceiving with in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Now researchers have developed a genetic blood test that predicts the chances that IVF will lead to a successful pregnancy.


Discovery agreement signed in the field of autoimmune disease

17 January, 2011

Ono Pharmaceutical Co (Osaka, Japan) and BioFocus (Saffron Walden, UK) have signed a collaboration agreement, focused on discovering novel targets in the field of autoimmune disease.


Diagnostic tool predicts bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome

13 January, 2011

A lung transplant can mean a new chance at life. But many who receive one develop a debilitating, fatal condition that causes scar tissue to build up in the lungs and chokes off the ability to breathe.


Australia and India become partners in scientific discovery

10 January, 2011

Australian and Indian researchers are teaming up to pursue new ideas, from non-invasive tools for detecting cancer to better techniques for monitoring the health of our oceans.


Is the universe real or did I imagine it?

22 December, 2010

The incompatibility between quantum theory and consciousness may be overcome if we jettison the heliocentric model of the universe and adopt a theory proposed by South Korean scientist Dr Daegene Song. Dr Song suggests that the universe may not be objectively 'real', in the sense that it may not exist if there is no-one to observe it.


New ways to access RAFT technology

20 December, 2010

The developers of Reversible Addition Fragmentation-chain Transfer (RAFT) technology, CSIRO and DuPont, have enhanced their technology transfer and licensing program to enable companies to more easily access the technology.


UWA to reveal 3D images of nano world

17 December, 2010

The University of Western Australia will soon be home to one of the most powerful microscopes in Australia that can capture 3D images of objects and surfaces at the molecular or nanoparticle level in real time.


First knock-in rats using zinc finger nuclease technology

14 December, 2010

Sigma Life Science has announced that its SAGE Labs initiative has successfully used its CompoZr Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) technology to generate knock-in rats in which foreign genes have been inserted, or 'knocked-in', into the rat genome in a precisely targeted manner. This breakthrough achievement represents a major step forward in the creation of a transgenic animal, which may serve as more predictive models of human disease.


Black hole observatory one step closer

07 December, 2010

Five leading Australian universities have joined together to seek funding for a major international gravitational wave observatory in Australia.


Securing Australia's future in food, energy, water and carbon

07 December, 2010

The Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council has released two expert scientific reports on serious issues facing the nation: Australia and Food Security in a Changing World and Challenges at Energy-Water-Carbon Intersections.


New microscopic life aboard the RMS Titanic

07 December, 2010

The greatest piece of material evidence regarding the sinking of the Titanic - the wreck itself - may soon be lost, says a researcher at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who has been examining the bacteria eating away at the so-called 'unsinkable ship' as it sits on the ocean bottom.


Erythromycin A produced in E. coli for first time

30 November, 2010

In a biosynthetic breakthrough that paves the way for other pharmaceuticals, researchers have announced the first successful production of the antibiotic erythromycin A, and two variations, using E. coli as the production host.


E.T. phone home, from Japan

30 November, 2010

Extraterrestrial asteroid particles have been discovered in the sample catcher on board the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa.


The secret life of blood

22 November, 2010

What triggers cancer? That is the question Melbourne scientist Dr Benjamin Kile is determined to answer.


Scientists discover the complexities of attractive female bodies

17 November, 2010

The results are in - young, tall and long-armed women are considered the most attractive according to a recent, cross-cultural study.


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