A researcher from the Australian National University is about to take a flight in microgravity, to see whether the protein-rich blue-green alga Spirulina platensis is the Right Stuff as food for space travel. [ + ]

Sydney oncology drug developer Novogen (ASX:NRT, NASDAQ:NVGN) can smell the clover across the width of the Pacific, after its Connecticut-based subsidiary Marshall Edwards (LSE AIM:MSH and NASDAQ:MSHL) reported outstanding preliminary results from a trial of its clover-derived cancer drug phenoxodiol. [ + ]

The federal government has used last night's budget to confirm its 2004 election commitment to reviewing the venture capital industry in Australia. [ + ]

Private Sydney proteomics company Minomic has signed an agreement with a biotech backed by Hong Kong's billion-dollar Cheung Kong Group to collaborate on one of the biotech's anti-cancer compounds. [ + ]

Intellectualised debate is stalling progress towards a national electronic health records system, according to the MD of database specialist Intersystems Australia. [ + ]

Melbourne-based biotech Prima Biomed (ASX:PRR) has been granted a patent by the European Patent Office for its CancerVac therapy, and nanotechnology company pSivida (ASX:PSD, NASDAQ:PSDV, Xetra:PSI) has been granted its first Chinese patent. [ + ]

Western Australia's biggest private sector superannuation fund, Westscheme, has signed a AUD$15 million partnership with university based pre-seed venture fund Uniseed. [ + ]

Melbourne venture capital company GBS Venture Partners has announced the close of its GBS BioVentures III Fund. The fund raised AUD$145 million, making it more than twice as large as GBS's previous funds, and well over its original target of $120 million. [ + ]

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).

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.

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. [ + ]