Articles
Patrys cancer antibody binds to two targets
Lab studies into Patrys’s (ASX:PAB) cancer treatment candidate PAT-SM6 show that the antibody can bind to two separate targets. [ + ]
New algorithm helps evaluate, rank scientific literature
Keeping up with current scientific literature is a daunting task, considering that hundreds to thousands of papers are published each day. Now researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a computer program to help them evaluate and rank scientific articles in their field. [ + ]
Proteomics promises vaccine for pig pneumonia
A new vaccine against pneumonia in pigs, potentially saving millions for the Australian swine industry, could result from novel proteomics research. [ + ]
Delayed reaction
2012 wasn’t the breakthrough year many were expecting for Australian biotechs, but 2013 could be. [ + ]
Bringing microbiologists (and mycologists) together
This coming July the world-renowned Adelaide Convention Centre will be hosting the Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting and the Australasian Mycological Society Joint Conference. Add them to your diary and register to attend now. [ + ]
‘Free’ self-cooling, thermoelectric system developed
Researchers at the UPNA/NUP-Public University of Navarre have produced a prototype of a self-cooling thermoelectric device that achieves ‘free’ cooling of over 30°C in devices that give off heat. It is a piece of equipment that acts as a traditional cooler but which consumes no electricity because it obtains the energy it needs to function from the very heat that has to be dissipated. [ + ]
Poor academic performance linked to texting and social networking
The widespread use of media among university students - from texting to chatting on mobile phones to posting status updates on Facebook - may be taking an academic toll, say researchers with The Miriam Hospital’s Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine. [ + ]
Benitec appoints Kevin Buchi to board
New Benitec (ASX:BLT) board member Kevin Buchi said he was drawn to the company due to the potential of its trial-ready hepatitis C treatment candidate. [ + ]
Automated colony counter speeds up vaccine testing
Synbiosis, a manufacturer of automated microbiological systems, has announced that its ProtoCOL 3 automated colony counter is being successfully used at UK vaccine company ImmunoBiology (ImmBio) in Cambridge to speed up testing throughput of its bacterial meningitis vaccines. [ + ]
Tax reform story not over for biotech industry
Building on the success of the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Incentive, industry leaders are calling for further tax reform to provide incentives for innovative manufacturing and investment, according to the Biotechnology Industry Position Survey 2013. [ + ]
Viralytics’ Cavatak well-tolerated intravenously
A phase I trial of intravenous delivery of Viralytics’ (ASX:VLA) Cavatak shows that the viral cancer treatment candidate was well tolerated. [ + ]
Creating a diamond standard in health and medical research
The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) is building an innovative 25,000 m2 facility, designed to foster researchers’ creativity and productivity. Together with Schneider Electric Life Sciences solution experts, SAHMRI will realise its vision of a highly intelligent and responsive facility. [ + ]
Beyond the debate
A leading opponent of transgenic crops in Britain recants. But Australian scientists developing GM crops to help feed the world aren’t waiting for local anti-GM campaigners to see the scientific light. [ + ]
McKeon Report echoes industry’s calls
Amid the raft of federal government consultations and reviews in recent months - a record number of which impact biotechnology - the Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research in Australia has released its final report, echoing industry’s calls for commercialisation, clinical trials and IP support. [ + ]
Mechanism of Click chemistry reveals its secrets
Click chemistry is not a specific reaction but rather chemistry tailored to generate substances quickly and reliably by joining small units together. It is meant to mimic nature which also generates substances by joining small modular units (eg, amino acids into proteins). But precisely how it works had been unclear since its invention at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) more than a decade ago. [ + ]