New Zealand researchers have discovered an unexpected role for a white blood cell called the natural killer (NK) cell — a critical cell for ridding the body of infection and cancer. [ + ]

MTPConnect and CII have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work collaboratively to boost the innovative medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors in India and Australia. [ + ]

Researchers have developed an imaging technique that can help assess the quality of early-stage embryos. [ + ]

In Australia, around 52,000 people will be diagnosed with rare and less common (RLC) cancers in 2017, according to estimates by Cancer in Australia 2017. [ + ]

Medical device company Avita Medical has named Erin Liberto as the company's chief commercial officer. [ + ]

Three Australian cancer treatment centres are involved in a drug trial that could see the next major advancement in ovarian cancer therapy. [ + ]

Scientists have developed a new system to identify and characterise the molecular components that control the activities of regulatory DNA sequences in the human genome. [ + ]

A newly released study finds that people living in the Oceania region, including Australia, have the highest risk in the world of having and dying from rheumatic heart disease. [ + ]

Environmental scientists have developed what they claim to be an accurate, rapid and inexpensive method for assessing metal-contaminated sites. [ + ]

Nominations for Fresh Science, the national competition that helps early-career researchers find, and then share, their stories of discovery, close this week. [ + ]

Silicon Quantum Computing, which holds the distinction of being Australia's first harware quantum computing company, has been launched at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). [ + ]

Boehringer Ingelheim has initiated a European and North American Phase IIa trial in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) of investigational drug candidate BI 1467335, acquired from fellow pharma company Pharmaxis in May 2015. [ + ]

The Australian Research Council has announced its selection of Clarivate Analytics to provide citation information for the 2018 round of Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), Australia's national research evaluation framework. [ + ]

As it gears up for the launch of its autism diagnostic test panel, US metabolomics company Stemina Biomarker Discovery has announced the appointment of Dr Heiner Dreismann to its board of directors. [ + ]

Austrian researchers have revealed that such an excessive immune response can be modulated by targeted manipulation of sugar metabolism. [ + ]