Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) has seen its share price drop 14% in the last two days after being downgraded to "underperform" by Macquarie Research. [ + ]

Foreign investors have expressed interest in a number of Australian biotechnology companies following the AusBiotech 2011 conference last week. [ + ]

Sartorius concludes agreement to acquire the liquid handling business of Finnish laboratory supplier Biohit. 

The Ramaciotti Foundations are collectively one of the largest private contributors to biomedical research in Australia, and having recently celebrated their 40th anniversary, have granted more than $51 million to research projects since 1970. Last week saw the latest slew of awards and grants issued, with more than $2.6 million issued to biomedical researchers around the nation. [ + ]

The newly-published genome sequence of roundworm is hoped to reveal new targets for diagnosis and treatment of this pervasive pernicious parasite. [ + ]

John Gunn has been named new CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).

ResMed has posted a record quarterly revenue of $314.8 million, but an 11% decrease in net income due to the high Australian dollar. [ + ]

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration has been appointed exclusive distributor for the Michell Instruments range of analytical instrumentation for Australia. The company manufactures dewpoint transmitters, cooled mirror hygrometers, relative humidity sensors, process moisture analysers, hydrocarbon dewpoint analysers, moisture in liquid analysers and oxygen analysers. [ + ]

Cystic fibrosis treatment, Bronchitol, has been recommended for approval in Europe, seeing Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS) shares jump by nearly 60 per cent. [ + ]

Monash researchers have developed a new technique using green fluorescent protein that could lead the way to an inexhaustible supply of specialised cells derived from stem cells. [ + ]

Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets has released a report on the radiation detection materials market. The report quantifies the market for scintillation, thin-film and semiconductor detection materials used for domestic security, military, medical imaging, nuclear power, science and geophysical applications. Also included is an in-depth assessment of the opportunities for a broad range of materials including sodium iodide, lanthanum bromide, caesium iodide, strontium iodide, cadmium compounds, silicates, halides, oxides, plastics/polymers, GaAs and nanocrystals among others. [ + ]

A collaborative effort by medical research teams to commercialise new research is gaining momentum with the addition of the ithree institute at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute have found strikingly high levels of a bacterium in colorectal cancers, a sign that it might contribute to the disease and potentially be a key to diagnosing, preventing and treating it.

A new study is believed to have resolved a major debate about when oxygen began to be produced on Earth and how long it took before oxygen levels were enough to support the growth of life.

The widely held belief that cycads are ‘dinosaur plants’ and were around during dinosaur times has been categorically debunked in a breakthrough study of international significance.