AusBiotech and an expert advisory panel have developed a draft 'China Guide' for Australian medtech companies and AusBiotech is now seeking comment.

Iain Ross, the director due to replace Dr Graham Kelly as chairman of the board of Novogen (ASX:NRT), has stepped down suddenly citing an unanticipated conflict of interest.

Following a successful debut in 2013, the Australia Biotech Invest conference will return to Melbourne from 3-4 December. [ + ]

Ancon Medical is seeking funding for technology that could screen for Ebola and other diseases, within minutes, through a simple breath test. The company will pursue a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's New Interventions for Global Health program, which awards up to $10 million for technology that can prevent the spread of infectious diseases. [ + ]

Prana Biotechnology (ASX:PRR) has published results of a trial of its PBT2 candidate in Huntington's disease showing it was generally well tolerated despite some adverse events.

The Alzheimer's Australia Dementia Research Foundation will award grants and fellowships worth $2.4 million to 25 early-career researchers. [ + ]

Marking the beginning of two new positions at the ANU, Dr Julia Ellyard and Professor Ross Hannan respectively received the inaugural Judith Whitworth Fellowship for Gender Equality in Science and inaugural Centenary Chair in Cancer Research. [ + ]

The Beijing University of Chinese Medicine has signed an agreement with the University of Western Sydney, the home of the National Institute of Complementary Medicine. The memorandum of understanding was signed in the presence of Australian Prime Minister the Hon Tony Abbott and His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China. [ + ]

European physicists have put forward an explanation as to why the universe did not collapse immediately after the Big Bang. Their theory follows studies which suggest that the production of Higgs particles during the accelerating expansion of the very early universe (inflation) should have led to instability and collapse. [ + ]

Genetic Signatures has launched a prospectus for an IPO on the ASX to help support the molecular diagnostics company's growth ambitions. [ + ]

Starpharma (ASX:SPL) will receive a Chinese formulation patent covering the use of its Priostar synthetic nanoscale dendrimers in agrochemical applications.

Reducing salt intake can reduce the warning signs of higher urinary albumin that is indicative of kidney and heart disease. [ + ]

Removing trees from wetlands makes these environments significantly wetter and may even create new wetlands.

A forum was held last week as the first step in the recently announced independent review of medicines and medical devices regulation. Attendees were advised that the review will commence with a discussion paper, which is expected to be launched by the end of the week, and the opening of the call for submissions. [ + ]

Physicists from The Australian National University have developed a spiral laser beam and used it to create a whirlpool of polaritons - hybrid particles that have properties of both matter and light. [ + ]