DNA-based anticounterfeiting technology company Applied DNA Sciences has announced that its evidentiary smartDNA platform has been adopted by Vattenfall Eldistribution AB to protect copper assets located in energy stations throughout Sweden. [ + ]

The 2013 Australian Delegation to biotechnology convention BIO, being managed by AusBiotech, gives Australian companies and research organisations a chance to participate on the Australian pavilion at the event. [ + ]

Ant and termite nests at a test site in the West Australian goldfields have been found to contain high concentrations of gold - indicating the presence of a larger gold deposit below without the need for test drilling. [ + ]

Dr Stephen Cameron, a Research Fellow from Queensland University of Technology’s Science and Engineering Faculty, has been awarded a Future Fellowship worth almost $700,000 to analyse genomic data to find out how insects evolved and, in doing so, come to a greater understanding of what makes insects such a successful branch on the tree of life. [ + ]

New research published in the prestigious journal Science has challenged previous notions about how the body fights against malaria infection. Scientists have discovered that platelets, normally known for their role in preventing bleeding, can actually target and kill the parasite that causes malaria as it grows inside red blood cells. [ + ]

Researchers have discovered an immune system ‘kill switch’ that destroys blood stem cells when the body is under severe stress, such as that induced by chemotherapy and systemic infections. [ + ]

A bit reminiscent of the Terminator T-1000, a new material created by Cornell researchers is so soft that it can flow like a liquid and then, strangely, return to its original shape. [ + ]

The Australian Academy of Science’s National Nanotech Research Strategy aims to boost investment and research in nanotech, including in nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. [ + ]

The drug erythropoietin, often called EPO, is banned from sports because it is believed to enhance an athlete’s performance and give people who use it an unfair advantage over unenhanced competitors. A new systemic review of existing research reveals that there is no scientific evidence that it does enhance performance, but that its use in sport could place a user’s health and life at risk. [ + ]

Scientists from New Zealand, Austria and the UK have created the world’s smallest reaction chamber, with a mixing volume that can be measured in femtolitres (million billionths of a litre). [ + ]

The University of Melbourne has announced an agreement with vaccine company Bio Farma to develop an adjuvant - a vaccine delivery system which could boost the effectiveness of vaccines for a range of infectious diseases. [ + ]

Animal trials of Starpharma (ASX:SPL) dendrimer-docetaxel showed a significant reduction in tumour cell survival compared to original formula Taxotere. [ + ]

US-based Liquid Robotics, an ocean data service provider and developer of the Wave Glider, today announced that the first Pacific Crossing (PacX) Wave Glider, ‘Papa Mau’, has completed its 9000 nautical mile (16,668 km) scientific journey across the Pacific Ocean to set a new world record for the longest distance travelled by an autonomous vehicle. [ + ]

A new study published in the British Journal of Surgery (BJS) has demonstrated for the first time that a simple breath analysis could be used for colorectal cancer screening. [ + ]

Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) has entered a research collaboration with Singapore's SingHealth to explore the applications of Carbon Gage Nanoparticles in combating difficult-to-treat cancers. [ + ]