The Gillard government intends to secure Australia’s competitive economic edge by boosting funding for science and research in universities by more than $126 million in 2012-13. [ + ]

Researchers at The University of Western Australia (UWA) say the ‘next frontier’ of agricultural science is understanding the root system and function of crop plants to significantly increase Australian grain production, keep farms viable and help continue to feed the world despite the onset of increasing drought and climate change. [ + ]

BioDiem (ASX:BDM) has received license fees totalling around 10% of its market cap from its LAIV flu vaccine technology. [ + ]

Hydrix, an engineering consultancy company operating in the medical device and other sectors, has won an award from the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame. [ + ]

Returning to Melbourne this year, the biotechnology industry event of the year, AusBiotech 2012 national conference, is now open for registration. [ + ]

Immuron (ASX:IMC) has signed a deal with dairy processing company Synlait covering the production of colostrum needed for its Travelan drug. [ + ]

IVD Australia, the industry body representing manufacturers and sponsors of pathology tests, has congratulated Dr John Skerritt on his appointment as the new National Manager of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). [ + ]

Qiagen NV has announced the acquisition of AmniSure International LLC, a privately owned Boston company that markets the AmniSure assay for determining whether a pregnant woman is suffering rupture of foetal membranes (ROM), a condition in which fluid leaks from the amniotic sac prematurely. [ + ]

Contract medical company IQnovate (ASX:IQN) has signed an MoU with Sydney's Nanosonics to help commercialise an ultrasound disinfection system. [ + ]

Clinical trials could be made more transparent, allowing greater sharing of knowledge and improved clinical outcomes, if they were modelled after the open source software movement, say researchers. [ + ]

AusBiotech’s CEO, Dr Anna Lavelle and PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Partner, Craig Lawn, sat down to discuss the state of the biotechnology and life sciences sector on webcast, including the impact of the R&D Tax Credit, changes in the market for capital as well as current and emerging trends. [ + ]

Bioniche (ASX:BNC) is commercialising two products designed to treat cancer in man's best friend, including an immunotherapy for mammary cancer. [ + ]

A team of Victorian university students has invented a digital stethoscope that could help millions in the developing world by assisting in the early diagnosis of childhood pneumonia. The four students, known as ‘Team StethoCloud’, triumphed against four other teams to win the Australian finals of the 2012 Microsoft Imagine Cup challenge. [ + ]

A research team at the University of Adelaide, led by Professor Tanya Monro, is working to create a whole range of new high-tech tools that use light for measuring, including new devices for early detection of cancer and smart bungs that monitor wine quality. [ + ]

AtCor Medical (ASX:ACG) has launched SphygmoCor XCEL, the newest iteration of its non-invasive central aortic blood pressure monitoring device. [ + ]