Nerve growth factor an important target for new painkillers, but it's not without its risks, says analysts. [ + ]

The new 12 year exclusive market protection on new biologics a boon for biotechnology in Australia. [ + ]

Chemists have identified a polymer-based system that may improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices.

Synthetic derivatives UDP-Galactose have been found to block the activity of glycosyltransferases and may have a significant role in the treatment of cancer, inflammation and infection.

In a ruling that will most definitely advance the development of personalised, molecular medicine and the practice of molecular pathology, a US district court has found against gene patenting.

A reluctance to publish negative results is leading to a troubling bias in scientific journals. [ + ]

The genome of the zebra finch is helping us understand how we learn how to speak. [ + ]

Phosphagenics signs global agreement for use of transdermal insulin in pets. [ + ]

Phase II trial to test effectiveness of afamelanotide in treating erythropoietic protoporphyria. [ + ]

New clinical trial for type I diabetes treatment using xenotransplantation of pig cells to begin in New Zealand. [ + ]

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found the first bio-marker for multiple sclerosis (MS) that might predict which patients will respond to a standard therapy and which will not.

Researchers are investigating microbes that break down plastics as a means of controlling ocean pollution. [ + ]

Individual light atoms such as boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen have been imaged for the first time. The images were collected using a Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscope.

New filters weed out false positive drug candidates making drug discovery cheaper and more efficient. [ + ]

Over half of this year's Australian Academy of Science Fellowships were awarded to life scientists. [ + ]