The MedTech 2017 Annual Conference, hosted by the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA), will take place from 1–2 November at Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney. [ + ]

A study by researchers at the University of Sydney and University of Queensland has found that modified peptides could be used to boost plant growth and development. [ + ]

Griffith University researchers have found that lead poisoning is a major risk factor for pre-eclampsia, a disease which kills over 75,000 women internationally each year and is responsible for 9% of all foetal deaths. [ + ]

Researchers at Harvard and MIT have developed smart tattoo ink that changes colour if the wearer is dehydrated or if his/her blood sugar rises. [ + ]

MTPConnect has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Medical Alley Association, a Minnesota-based organisation that enables health innovation and care organisations to successfully influence the evolution of health care. [ + ]

Australian researchers have designed a chemical sensor that can detect and measure zinc levels in cells, allowing for a deeper understanding of the dynamic roles that metal ions play in the human body. [ + ]

Science & Technology Australia (STA) has elected three new leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to its board, in an effort to represent scientists and technologists working in a range of disciplines. [ + ]

In the hunt for novel treatments against triple-negative breast cancer, US researchers have combined a new protein inhibitor with a chemotherapy drug. [ + ]

US researchers have developed an approach to gene circuit design that is far more efficient than current techniques. [ + ]

Food testing company Arrow Scientific has announced that it is merging with Key Diagnostics, effective as of 1 October. [ + ]

Western Australian researchers have developed a new cancer treatment with the dual ability to normalise tumour blood vessels and boost the body's immune system. [ + ]

Australian researchers have developed an automated computer technique that is able to aid in the diagnosis of bladder cancer, allowing suspect lesion images to be quickly and effectively analysed and then classified for cancer risk. [ + ]

An international research collaboration has provided a genome sequence for the white Guinea yam — a staple crop with huge economic and cultural significance on the African continent. [ + ]

According to a new study from UNSW, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not itself an epidemic. Rather, it has the potential to worsen pandemics or seasonal influenza epidemics, and should be kept in perspective. [ + ]

Stem cells can now be triggered to change into heart muscle cells thanks to a new method involving synthetic molecules, developed by researchers at Kyoto University. [ + ]