ANU has announced the winner of its inaugural Grand Challenge Scheme — a $50 million initiative to provide funding for transformative research with the potential to radically change our understanding of, and responses to, the world's most intractable problems. [ + ]

UNSW scientists have developed a way to control the shape of polymer molecules so they self-assemble into non-spherical nanoparticles. Their work is expected to improve the delivery of toxic drugs to tumours. [ + ]

The number of Australian girls taking part in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects has been declining at an alarming rate, causing Australia to fall behind compared with other developed countries. [ + ]

A discovery by Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) sheds light on how bones affect appetite and metabolism. [ + ]

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are a target of around 40% drugs. A major mapping of these drugs by researchers has found that their pharmacological mechanisms are becoming more complex. [ + ]

Have you ever wondered why experiments in lab mice, such as vaccine studies, turn out very differently in humans or other animals? According to US researchers, the problem lies with the test subjects' gut bacteria. [ + ]

MTPConnect has opened expressions of interest for the Australian Government's $5 million BioMedTech Horizons program. [ + ]

The winners of the 2017 L'Oréal for Women in Science Fellowships have been announced, with five lucky early-career female scientists receiving $25,000 to support them in their specialist area of research for one year. [ + ]

Fertility group Genea has announced an updated version of its culture medium Gems, which is claimed to result in more high-grade embryos per IVF cycle than traditional products. [ + ]

Swiss researchers have revealed how cancer cells can reactivate a cellular process that is an essential part of embryonic development, allowing them to leave the primary tumour, penetrate the surrounding tissue and form metastases in peripheral organs. [ + ]

Research led by ANU has found that the proportion of 'staph' infections resistant to antibiotics has increased in Australia since 2000, with most cases now occurring in the community rather than in hospitals. [ + ]

Melbourne researchers have produced a three-dimensional (3D) map of a molecular 'scaffold' called SgK223, known to play a critical role in the development and spread of aggressive breast, colon and pancreatic cancers. [ + ]

The 2017 AusBiotech annual general meeting (AGM) saw the election of Professor Jan Tennent as the new director of the organisation — an addition that is expected to bring a strong industry-research conduit to the AusBiotech board. [ + ]

Global healthcare company MSD and the University of Queensland's commercialisation company, UniQuest, have partnered to develop a platform for new immuno-oncology therapies. [ + ]

Twenty national medtech, biotech and pharmaceutical projects will receive $7.385 million in funding from the industry growth centre MTPConnect. [ + ]