Chemists at the University of Connecticut have developed a peanut allergy test which is said to be far more sensitive than current procedures. It is hoped that the blood test will be better able to diagnose the severity of an individual's allergic reaction. [ + ]

Biotech company Actinogen Medical (ASX: ACW) is progressing a phase 1 trial on its lead drug candidate, Xanamem, which it is hoped will provide a much-needed new treatment option for people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. [ + ]

Anatara Lifesciences (ASX:ANR) has made three new executive appointments including a new CEO and has reported a 530% increase in its net loss for the first half of FY15. [ + ]

As NASA's Curiosity mission searches for various minerals on Mars, in the hope of finding evidence of ancient habitable environments, British scientists have found that one such mineral (jarosite) breaks down organic compounds when it is flash-heated.

NICTA spinoff Saluda Medical has raised $10m in Series B funding to help develop Evoke, its neuromodulation device for treating chronic pain and other conditions. [ + ]

Prescient Therapeutics (ASX:PTX) has secured two new US patents for PTX-200, a drug candidate with potential applications in platinum-resistant ovarian and other cancers. [ + ]

The average animal cell is 10 µm across - why? Why aren't they bigger? [ + ]

Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP) has validated a potentially revolutionary method of efficiently manufacturing mesenchymal stromal cells using induced pluripotent stem cells. [ + ]

The kilogram is about to be redefined using Planck's constant and you can now measure this constant yourself with a little 'do-it-yourself' effort and some LEGO. [ + ]

The kilogram is about to be redefined using Planck's constant and you can now measure this constant yourself with a little 'do-it-yourself' effort and some Lego. [ + ]

Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) has reported a 58.1% increase in net profit for the first half of FY15 as a result of stronger sales of its SIR-Spheres microspheres. [ + ]

The average animal cell is 10 µm across - why? Why aren't they bigger?

Immuron (ASX:IM) has licensed its Travelan product - a preventative treatment for travellers diarrhoea - in China and expects the market to eclipse sales of the product in its other regions combined. [ + ]

Drug discovery company Re-Pharm has used computational chemistry suite Forge, a product of its parent company Cresset, to identify novel anti-inflammatory activity for an existing drug which is widely prescribed for other non-inflammatory conditions. [ + ]

CSL (ASX:CSL) has reported a net profit for the first half of FY15 of $890.3m, with sales increasing across all its core product segments.