More than half of all large ice-free coastal areas of Antarctica have now been disturbed by human activity. [ + ]

A gene called PHF6 plays a powerful role in protecting against blood cancer — and a breakdown in the gene's function could accelerate the development of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. [ + ]

According to Afnan Zafar, collaboration in the field of product development must follow a strict set of rules if firms really want to benefit from open innovation and boost their performance. [ + ]

Researchers have found a potential link between autistic-like behaviour in adult mice and exposure to a common antidepressant in the womb. [ + ]

MRCF5 will focus on investing in early-stage medical research discoveries linked to MRCF members and recently completed its first close, raising $210m from investors. [ + ]

Organ-on-chip specialist CN Bio has signed a distribution agreement with Sydney-based AXT, with its products now available throughout Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region. [ + ]

Researchers from the University of Leicester have provided a set of recommendations about how to address the overuse of antibiotics in health care. [ + ]

Researchers have been looking at how different environments provide opportunities for animal-to-human diseases to interact with and infect new host species, including humans. [ + ]

Finnish researchers have developed a customised DNA nanostructure that can perform a predefined task in human body-like conditions. [ + ]

Thermo Fisher Scientific has entered into a collaboration with NX Prenatal to develop proteomics assays to monitor foetal health in utero and assess the risk of adverse outcomes. [ + ]

German researchers are currently involved in an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional project aimed at making automated diagnoses from a software program more transparent. [ + ]

Scientists could help match cancer patients with no other treatment options to clinical trials with experimental medicines, by analysing the genetic faults in a sample of their blood. [ + ]

The Australian Antarctic Program is leading an ambitious project to search for the Earth's longest continuous ice core climate record from deep inside an Antarctic ice sheet. [ + ]

Swedish scientists have shown how a blood test can reveal whether there is accelerating nerve cell damage in the brain. [ + ]

With the support of the Victorian Government, Trajan Scientific and Medical plans to invest $2.4 million in the expansion of its Melbourne facility over the next three years. [ + ]