While many companies are preparing to shut down for the festive season, parts of the Australian biotech sector show no signs of getting into holiday mode. [ + ]

Animal health biotech Imugene (ASX:IMU) has signed an agreement with Abic Biological Laboratories Teva, the animal health division of Israeli-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, to develop and evaluate a new vaccine for the prevention of poultry coccidiosis. [ + ]

A major court victory against US firm Applera will put Genetic Technologies (ASX:GTG) in a leadership position in Australian biotechnology, the firm's CEO has predicted. [ + ]

An elated Dr Mervyn Jacobson, CEO of Genetic Technologies (ASX:GTG, NASDAQ:GENE), flew back to Melbourne from San Francisco this morning after slaying his company's most reluctant dragon, giant US rival Applera. [ + ]

Scientists in Sydney have developed a new blood test to detect regulatory T cells, a subset of white cells that protect against the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. [ + ]

Molecular Pharmacology, a US company which recently backdoor-listed on Nasdaq through former exploration mining firm Blue Hawk Ventures, has acquired Perth-based Pharmanet Group's (ASX:PNO) wholly-owned subsidiary Molecular Pharmacology (MPL Australia). [ + ]

Sydney-based Peptech (ASX:PTD) has invested more than AUD$10 million in Domantis, as part of a £17 million (AUD$39.5 million) capital raising by the UK drug development firm, which attracted two new significant shareholders. [ + ]

Perth-based Phylogica (ASX:PYC) and the McComb Foundation are jointly developing a potential new drug to speed up the healing process and reduce the scarring caused by burns. [ + ]

Premier Bionics (ASX:PBI) has raised AUD$1.25 million in a placement to provide capital to accelerate the development of a mass trauma simulator in Israel. [ + ]

Private Sydney-based biotech BTF has achieved 101 per cent revenue growth over the last three years, earning itself a place in the 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards. [ + ]

Diabetes specialist Dia-B Tech's (ASX:DIA) shares rose nearly 70 per cent yesterday on news that it had filed a new Australian provisional patent to protect a mechanism for dispersing insulin more rapidly. [ + ]

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has formally joined the pre-seed commercialisation fund Uniseed with a financial commitment of AUD$10 million. [ + ]

PolyNovo Biomaterials and the CSIRO have shaken hands on an agreement to extend their collaboration on a radical new method of repairing damaged cartilage in the knees and joints, using the CSIRO-developed biopolymer NovoSorb. [ + ]

The first few patients have been formally recruited for two pilot clinical trials of Melbourne-based Mesoblast's (ASX:MSB) adult stem cell platform technology. [ + ]

Professor Linda Blackall, research director at the Environmental Biotechnology CRC (EBCRC), has won an international award for significant lifetime achievement in the field of biological wastewater treatment.