Pioneering sleep specialist Dr Murray Johns had some good advice yesterday for medical practitioners wanting to commercialise their medical devices and inventions. [ + ]

The response of the world’s glaciers to global warming is an important element in understanding climate change, involving sea-level change and changes to the circulation in the North Atlantic. To predict changes, scientists believe it is vital to understand the behaviour of glaciers.

Two Monash law academics are calling for urgent state government action following the disclosure that a private Melbourne company holds the DNA records of millions of Victorians.

Chemeq’s (ASX:CMQ) prolonged bout of the winter blues have continued even as the first commercial batches of its antimicrobial polymer flow from its new production plant in WA. [ + ]

Pharmaxis (ASX: PXS) has released its preliminary final results, posting a loss of AUD$6 million for the 2003-2004 financial year. [ + ]

Benitec (ASX: BLT) has settled its patent infringement case against US company Ambion, giving the company a world-wide non-exclusive licence to make and sell DNA-directed RNAi products. [ + ]

Anti genetic-engineering protesters smashed full vases containing genetically modified carnations during the afternoon session of the Biofestival 2004 at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre today. [ + ]

Australia will have a much greater capacity to understand its fly biodiversity with a generous endowment from an American benefactor.

The AUD$4.1 million Integrative Neuroscience Facility of the National Neuroscience Facility was opened today at the NNF headquarters in Melbourne. [ + ]

BioPharmica (ASX: BPH) made its debut on the ASX on Friday afternoon, closing slightly lower than its opening price of AUD$0.25 at $0.21. [ + ]

Sydney-based company Somnomed is preparing to list on the ASX later this month, with an IPO expected to raise AUD$12 million through the sale of 40 million shares at $0.30 per share. [ + ]

There must be something in the water in Sydney’s North Ryde that encourages biotech. [ + ]

Melbourne dementia drug-hunter Prana Biotechnology Ltd (ASX:PBT, NASDAQ:PRAN) has resolved a long-running patent dispute with Greek pharma PN Gerolymatos (PNG) over the composition and uses of Prana’s former lead anti-Alzheimer’s drug, clioquinol, or PBT-1. [ + ]

IP industry doubts have emerged as to whether the Australian Labor Party's proposed changes to Free Trade Agreement legislation -- to prevent drugmakers from using spurious patents to block generics -- would be valid. [ + ]

Perth nano-biotech company pSivida has been keeping its patent lawyers in the UK from their repose, with the company announcing that its UK subsidiary, Psimedica, has been issued with yet another US patent for its proprietary biomaterial BioSilicon. [ + ]