LifeSensors has appointed United Bioresearch Products as its new Australian distributor. [ + ]

The Victorian Government has provided $300,000 to the Victorian Infection and Immunity Network (VIIN) as part of its Collaborative Networks Pilot Program to encourage the development of partnerships between academic and industry groups and to accelerate industry’s adoption of new technologies. [ + ]

New research from Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Banner Sun Health Research Institute suggests that testing a portion of a person’s saliva gland may be a way to diagnose the degenerative disorder Parkinson’s disease. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in San Diego in March. [ + ]

Bio-Rad Laboratories, a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, has announced that it has purchased AbD Serotec, a division of MorphoSys AG, for approximately €53 million in cash. [ + ]

Bluechiip (ASX:BCT) has signed a deal covering distribution of its temperature-resistant tracking chips in the North American sample storage market. [ + ]

Patrys (ASX:PAB) has started recruiting for a second group of three patients for its multiple myeloma trial, which will receive an escalated dose of antibody treatment PAB-SM6. [ + ]

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has announced a series of new appointments at the Australian Synchrotron. [ + ]

The wonder material graphene could help detect the presence of drugs or toxins in the body or dramatically improve airport security, University of Manchester researchers have found. [ + ]

With heatwaves predicted to increase in intensity and duration, the importance of heat tolerant crops is becoming increasingly urgent. Dr Daniel Tan, from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, specialises in exactly that. [ + ]

Researchers at WEHI have used the Australian Synchrotron to generate the world’s first 3D images of insulin docking with cells, a finding that could lead to improved treatments for diabetes. [ + ]

The early onset of Alzheimer’s disease could be detected using a simple online test, according to scientists from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at The University of Queensland (UQ). [ + ]

A new joint research centre at Murdoch University is aiming to improve international competitiveness for Australian grain growers by mapping the entire wheat protein genome. [ + ]

Scientists are a step closer to developing a vaccine against a fatally infectious parasite carried in the bite of sandflies. [ + ]

An Australian-led research team has obtained the world’s first 3D pictures of insulin in the process of binding to cell surfaces so that the cells can take up sugar from the blood. The images solve the 20-year mystery of how insulin binds to the insulin receptor and will enable the development of improved forms of insulin for treating type 1 and 2 diabetes. [ + ]

Researchers have discovered a new compound that restores the health of mice infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an otherwise dangerous bacterial infection. [ + ]