Cryptome Pharmaceuticals has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Biosciences (IMB) to collaborate on the identification of potential therapeutics for cardiovascular disease.

Scientific research in Australia has received a major boost with the launch of a fund designed to foster collaborative research between universities, CSIRO and other publicly funded research agencies (PFRA's).

Dr Geoff Garrett has been reappointed as chief executive of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO). [ + ]

Dr John Moursounidis has been hired as CEO for West Australian pharmaceutical company PharmAust (ASX:PAA). [ + ]

Monash University's Centre for Health Economics has moved to new premises in the Science Technology and Innovation Precinct at Monash University's Clayton campus, and will be looking at setting up partnerships with industry for the first time. [ + ]

Doctors at Auckland City Hospital have conducted the first long-term implant of a Sunshine Heart (ASX:SHC) C-Pulse heart device in a 56-year old New Zealand man. [ + ]

Positive results from a new phase II clinical trial of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, Gardisil, developed from research originally conducted by Prof Ian Frazer's group at the University of Queensland, were presented at the 22nd International Papillomavirus Conference and Clinical Workshop held in Vancouver, Canada last week. [ + ]

Adelaide company Bionomics (ASX:BNO) has seen a major change in its shareholding in the past few weeks, with Queensland Investment Corporation ceasing to be a substantial shareholder and Laurence Freedman's Link Traders filling the gap. [ + ]

Rumours have abounded in recent weeks that Queensland Investment Corporation- which over the last three years has emerged as the largest single investor in Australian biotechnology - is selling out of the sector, prompted by the funds' sale of its shareholding in biotechs Rockeby Biomed (ASX:RBT), Biodiem (ASX:BDM) and Bionomics (ASX:BNO), and reduction of its stake in Eiffel (ASX:EIF). [ + ]

The University of Queensland's multi-million dollar exit from unlisted Brisbane biotech Xenome has led to the establishment of a new $750,000 proof-of-concept fund for reinvestment in commercially viable research projects at UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience. [ + ]

Despite a strong cash position of AUD$44.8 million, boosted by an interim net profit after tax of $23.9 million for the half-year ended 31 March 2005, Sydney biotech Peptech (ASX:PTD) has said it is "not actively participating in the M&A space" at the moment, and denied renewed speculation of a merger with Melbourne's Amrad (ASX:AMD). [ + ]

GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development is to buy two Brain Resource Laboratories from Sydney-based brain function databasecompiler Brain Resource Company (ASX:BRC), for operation at Quintiles' Guys Drug Research Unit in London. [ + ]

Christine Cussen has resigned from her role as chief executive of drug re-engineering company Eiffel (ASX:EIF), at a time when the company's share price has dipped below $0.04 - more than two thirds below its level in January of around $0.12. [ + ]

Biotechnology stocks have been hit hard in calendar 2005 with the Intersuisse biotechnology index showing a fall of 23 per cent, including a 10 per cent fall in April. [ + ]

A gene therapy method that doesn't rely on potentially toxic viruses as vectors may be growing closer as the result of in vitro research results reported by University at Buffalo scientists in the current online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.