A new cancer vaccine concept developed by researchers at The University of Queensland's Diamantina Institute has been licensed to US-based developer of RNAi therapeutics, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, through UniQuest - UQ's main research commercialisation company.

Mapping the human genome, and its 21,000-odd protein-coding genes, was a mammoth undertaking, requiring a 10 year, multi-billion dollar, collaborative effort by teams from across the globe. Yet the Human Genome Project (HGP) was only the beginning. In Sydney in September, at the Human Proteome Organisation (HUPO) Annual World Congress, the next great undertaking in uncovering the foundations of human biology will begin, with the official launch of the Human Proteome Project. [ + ]

A team of scientists at the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics has successfully used genetic modification to improve the salt tolerance of rice, offering hope for improved rice production around the world.

The mesenchymal stromal cells in wisdom teeth pulp can be used to create lines of induced-pluripotent stem cells - opening up a new potential avenue for stem-cell therapy whereby patients could be treated with their own stem cells.

The Australian Stock Market just managed to stayed ahead for the week this week, as weakness from major sectors pushed down on the market. [ + ]

The retirement this week of Mark Morrisson as the CEO of Australian medical diagnostics company Universal Biosensors has triggered speculation throughout the industry that the company may be on the market. [ + ]

Professor Geoff Hill, chair of immunology at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), has been awarded a second round Senior Clinical Research Fellowships (SCRF) from the Queensland Government to support his work on improving bone marrow transplant success for leukaemia sufferers. [ + ]

Australian drug development company Novogen announced today that it has agreed to sell the rights to its entire isoflavone portfolio to US subsidiary Marshall Edwards in return for stock. [ + ]

It wasn’t so long ago that a diagnosis of cancer in children was an almost certain death sentence. Nowadays more than 80 percent of affected children survive into later life and beyond. However, with this greater life expectancy comes an increased risk of a recurrance of the initial cancer, secondary cancers and a host of other debilitating health conditions. [ + ]

A U.S judge is refusing to yield to pressure to reverse a ban issued last month on funding for human embryonic stem cell research which the Obama administration says is putting millions of dollars of federal funding and some 1300 jobs at risk, the New York Times reports. [ + ]

The largest ever Australian study looking into the genetic causes of asthma is about to get under way. [ + ]

It may sound like the spiel of a snake-oil salesman, but the story behind the development of a new Australian product derived from an extract of pawpaw (Carica papaya) designed to promote wound healing is a compelling one. The Australian company behind it, Phoenix Eagle, has developed a new product, OPAL A, that could revolutionise wound healing and wound care. [ + ]

European researchers have identified an exciting new drug candidate which has shown to be effective against common malaria parasites including drug-resistant strains of the virus. [ + ]

The Australian Stock Market finished up for the week today, ending several weeks of losses, as investors warmed to the positive outlook for the local economy. [ + ]

The Children’s Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research (CCIA) has received $3.1 million to fund a new drug screening robot designed to radically improve the understanding and treatment of cancer in children. [ + ]