Despite gains in the training of women scientists and the implementation of programs to help women overcome ingrained barriers, the career path of most women scientists at universities remains a difficult trek, fraught with roadblocks of bias, a sometimes chilly campus climate and the challenge of balancing family and work.

Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC) CEO Dr Hugh Niall is to boycott the AusBiotech conference, which begins in Perth next week, where he was due to appear on a panel with South Korean stem cell expert Prof Woo-Suk Hwang. [ + ]

CSIRO Plant Industry researchers have abandoned a project to develop a genetically modified field pea with resistance to the pea weevil, Bruchus pisorum. [ + ]

Trials of Novogen's (ASX:NRT) anti-cancer drug phenoxodiol have shown it significantly delays tumour progression in men suffering from late-stage hormone refractory prostate cancer and produces anti-cancer responses in women with cervical cancer. [ + ]

Biotech shares bucked the trend during the month of October - the Intersuisse biotechnology index gained 6.6 per cent in contrast to the All Ordinaries and the Nasdaq Biotech Index, which fell by 3.9 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively. [ + ]

Ruth Beran spoke with Australian contract research organisations and found that there is strong demand for Australian clinical trials, both from within Australia and also from overseas. [ + ]

A malaria research team, including WEHI Structural Biologist, Professor Ray Norton, has received a US$1 million grant from the US National Institutes of Health to develop more effective malaria treatments.

Australian venom researchers have uncovered a 200-million year old secret: Australia's goannas and bearded dragons, Indonesia's giant Komodo dragon, and their iguana cousins, are more closely related to snakes than to other lizards -- and they're venomous. [ + ]

Unlisted Melbourne biotech Hatchtech has been awarded a AUD$2.4 million AusIndustry Commercial Ready grant to support its head lice treatment R&D program. [ + ]

Brisbane biotech Tissue Therapies (ASX:TIS) has completed a placement to investors, raising AUD$1.6 million before costs. [ + ]

Medic Vision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Premier Bionics (ASX:PBI), has received an initial order for its surgical simulation products worth almost $460,000 from a hospital in Hong Kong. [ + ]

Melbourne biopharma Cryptome Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CRP) has entered a non-binding terms sheet to acquire HealthLinx, a privately-held diagnostics specialist with lead candidates targeting ovarian cancer and complications in pregnancy. [ + ]

The Australian life sciences sector has picked up with small cap stocks seeing positive growth in the last quarter, according to the November edition of PricewaterhouseCoopers' quarterly BioForum report. [ + ]

The Dow Chemical Company has exercised AUD$2 million worth of options in manufacturing partner Alchemia (ASX:ACL). [ + ]

Stem Cell Sciences KK (SCS KK), a Japanese affiliate of Stem Cell Sciences (AIM:STEM, SCS), has signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement with the University of Nice to commercialise tissue stem cells that may have therapeutic application in degenerative diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). [ + ]