Industry News
Defective sperm doubles pre-eclampsia risk in IVF patients
A high proportion of the father's spermatozoa possessing DNA strand breaks is associated with doubled risk of pre-eclampsia in women who become pregnant by IVF. [ + ]
Free meningococcal B vaccines coming to the NT
The Northern Territory Government has confirmed the rollout of a free meningococcal B vaccine program from 1 January 2025 — a commitment that it took to the most recent election. [ + ]
Single-molecule imaging enables large-scale drug screening
Scientists have found a way to streamline drug discovery using single-molecule tracking, allowing them to explore the effects of many different candidate drugs on a single target molecule. [ + ]
High-tech UQ facility enables precision plant research
A high-tech facility with rooms to mimic environments from rainforests to deserts is set to help Australian scientists and industry improve crop productivity and secure future food supplies. [ + ]
Mouth bacteria linked to increased head and neck cancer risk
More than a dozen bacterial species that live in people's mouths have been linked to a collective 50% increased chance of developing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. [ + ]
PFAS found in drinking water from around the world
Scientists have discovered toxic 'forever chemicals' present in samples of tap and bottled water sourced from 15 countries around the world. [ + ]
Publication of new standards for clinical trial data reuse
The standards aim to facilitate the responsible sharing and use of anonymised individual patient data (IPD) from clinical studies to support the research community. [ + ]
Life expectancy gains are slowing, study finds
Life expectancy at birth in the world's longest-living populations has increased by an average of only six and a half years since 1990. [ + ]
Towards safer epilepsy treatment for pregnant women
New research conducted in organoids is expected to provide pregnant women with epilepsy safer access to a common and highly effective anti-seizure medication. [ + ]
Germs on travellers' phones present a biosecurity risk
Large numbers of microbes are being introduced to Australia via the microbial-contaminated mobile phones of travellers, posing potential threats to local ecosystems, agriculture and public health. [ + ]
PAT imaging breakthrough could transform disease diagnosis
A new handheld scanner can generate highly detailed 3D photoacoustic images in just seconds, offering the potential for early disease diagnosis. [ + ]
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria exhibit shape differences
Researchers have discovered that antibiotic-resistant bacteria exhibit characteristic morphological changes that can be detected microscopically. [ + ]
Experimental blood test detects early-stage pancreatic cancer
The new test works by detecting two sugars — CA199.STRA and CA19-9 — that are produced by pancreatic cancer cells and escape into the bloodstream. [ + ]
Breast and ovarian cancer linked to thousands of gene variants
Researchers identified 3094 variants that may disrupt the RAD51C gene's function and increase cancer risk, with an accuracy above 99.9% when compared to clinical data. [ + ]
Boosting vaccine delivery with bystander immune cells
Adding low doses of vaccine-specific antibody to a COVID-19 vaccine stimulates the immune system's B cells, which are responsible for generating antibodies, to fight viral infections. [ + ]
