Sydney biosensor specialist Ambri (ASX:ABI) appeared to hit a setback last week, when the company announced that its US partner would no longer work to develop Ambri's ion-channel switch (ICS). [ + ]

Psiron (ASX:PSX) has moved to reassure shareholders of its ability to fund its business plans, in the wake of last week's resignations of the company's CEO and CFO. [ + ]

Federal health minister Tony Abbott was on hand to cut the ribbon for the first of two Relenza production lines at GlaxoSmithKline's manufacturing facilities in Boronia, Victoria, last week. [ + ]

Most of Australia's leading healthcare firms are expected to post strong first-half profit growth and provide positive outlook statements as the benefits of takeovers and spin-offs start to filter through, according to analysts. [ + ]

Scientists at the University of Queensland have linked maternal vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy to abnormal foetal brain development and an increased the risk of behavioural problems, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life. [ + ]

US-listed Innovate Oncology and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avantogen (ASX:ACU), formerly Australian Cancer Technologies, are to merge. [ + ]

Neutron scattering research techniques that can show how nature uses complex protein structures to get cells to respond and adapt to stimuli in the body, could be the new tool to help researchers find new drugs to treat diseases such as heart failure or cancer. Dr Jill Trewhella, a joint ANSTO and Sydney University Research Fellow, is an expert in using neutron scattering to study cell signalling systems which regulate the body.

Cell cultures often form the testing ground for new active agents. Results can only be reliable if cell growth is standardised. This process will soon happen automatically with a microscope to monitor growth and image processing to control cultivation via integrated robotics.

BresaGen has concluded an agreement with Indian firm BV BioCorp, to register and distribute BresaGen's G-CSF for leukaemia and an undisclosed product in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. [ + ]

Portland Orthopaedics (ASX:PLD) has initiated registration of its complete range of orthopaedic products with the State Drug Administration of China (SFDA), in a process expected to take 12 months. [ + ]

Cell therapy company CyGenics (ASX:CYN) will be part of a new international collaborative effort to develop new treatments of cancer using the novel approach of developing and mobilising immune cells outside the human body. [ + ]

Melbourne Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug developer Prana Biotechnology (ASX:PBT, Nasdaq:PRAN) now has visual confirmation of its prototype plaque-buster, clioquinol, at work in an animal brain. [ + ]

In a program which promises to boost the nation's billion dollar barley exports by up to a third, a team at the Molecular Plant Breeding Cooperative Research Centre (MPBCRC) is busy turning 'cow-tucker' into top quality beer-making ingredients.

Qiagen and Eppendorf have announced that they have formed a strategic alliance that includes co-development and co-marketing of complementary and optimised products. The alliance is intended to link the brands and product lines and to ensure the highest compatibility of their products targeting the research, applied testing and molecular diagnostics.

Julie Nutting has stepped down as both CEO and director of Sydney-based Psiron (ASX:PSX), positions she has held since December 2003. [ + ]