Norwood Abbey (ASX:NAL) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) have agreed to collaborate on the development of a non-surgical mulesing technology to prevent sheep flystrike using Norwood's needle-free injection technology. [ + ]

Starpharma (ASX:SPL) has reported preliminary results from the Phase I clinical trial on its dendrimer-based vaginal microbicide indicate no adverse effects from the product in any of the women taking part in the trial. [ + ]

Researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute and the University of Melbourne have identified a molecule which they believe may play a crucial role in preventing spinal cord regeneration. [ + ]

Sydney-based proteomics company Proteome Systems (ASX:PXL) has released a standalone software package for proteomics research and analysis, Version 3.0 of BioinformatIQ. Its first customer was the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility (APAF), Australia's Major National Research Facility for functional proteomics . [ + ]

IVFAustralia and the Diabetes Transport Unit (DTU) at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney have been granted a licence by the NHMRC to create up to six new human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines from spare IVF embryos. [ + ]

The latest round of Australian Research Council linkage and discovery grants, announced today, have allocated AUD$381 million over five years to more than 1300 new research projects from 2005. [ + ]

New Zealand biotech Neuren today lodged the prospectus for its mid-January IPO with ASIC, announcing that it will aim to raise AUD$15 million, giving it an indicative market capitalisation of AUD$40 million. [ + ]

Peptech's (ASX: PTD) share price jumped 26 per cent in the first hour of very heavy trading today after announcing that its net profit in 2004-2005 was likely to be between AUD$18-21 million following the settlement of its dispute with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Centocor over royalties for Centocor's anti-TNF drug Remicade. [ + ]

Chemeq (ASX: CMQ) has received a conditional GMP licence for its new manufacturing facility from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). [ + ]

Imugene (ASX: IMU) has reported a dramatic enhancement of poultry growth using its novel, antibiotic-free, hormone-free growth enhancer. [ + ]

Psivida (ASX: PSD) has signed its first agreement with a multinational company, partnering up with Japanese giant Itochu Corporation to develop and commercialise BioSilicon products in Japan and other Asian markets. [ + ]

The first of six human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines to be developed by Stem Cell Sciences, Melbourne IVF and the Australian Stem Cell Centre has been produced and will be made available to researchers around the world unfettered by commercial restrictions. [ + ]

Peptech (ASX:PTD) has its early Christmas present, with the successful settlement of its dispute with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Centocor. [ + ]

Infectious disease drug-developer Avexa (ASX:AVX) is to work with researchers at the University of Leuven's Rega Institute in Belgium to develop a new HIV/AIDS therapy that will block the virus' integrase enzyme. [ + ]

Expatriate Australian immunologist Prof Jonathan Sprent will return to Australia next year from the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California, to take up a position at Sydney's Centenary Institute after being awarded a prestigious Burnet Award from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). [ + ]