Melbourne-based nanotechnology company Starpharma (ASX:SPL) has won a US$5.4 million (AUD$7.5 million) grant from the US National Institutes of Health to lead a consortium developing microbicides for the prevention of infection by HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. [ + ]

Shares in Biota (ASX:BTA) jumped 14 cents to $0.66 when the Melbourne anti-viral drug developer announced it had been awarded a US$5.6 million (AUD$8 million) US Government research grant to develop a long-acting influenza drug. [ + ]

Stirling Products (ASX:STI) is topping up its coffers with an AUD$1 million placement to clients of stockbroker Taylor Collison. A total of 5 million new shares will be issued at $0.20 per share. [ + ]

After raising AUD$2.6 million from its August float, new Perth biomedical company BioPharmica (ASX:BPH) has been busy trawling Australian research waters for new intellectual property. [ + ]

Sydney proteomics pioneer Proteome Systems (ASX:PXL) made its long-awaited debut on the Australian Stock Exchange at noon today. [ + ]

Cambridge University researcher and clinician Dr Roger Barker told delegates at this week's ComBio2004 conference in Perth to exercise caution in using stem cell therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease. [ + ]

The victory of biotechnology giant Monsanto over Canadian farmer Mr Percy Schmeiser in the Supreme Court of Canada has sent a powerful message to Australian farmers - not just about GM crops, but about all plant technologies, according to ANU law expert Dr Matthew Rimmer.

On the eve the Federal election, some of Australia' most famous medical researchers have signed an open letter to Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Mark Latham asking them to increase funding for medical research. [ + ]

Drug delivery company Acrux (ASX:ACR) listed on the ASX today at $0.90, a discount of 10 per cent to its issue price of $1.00 per share. But shares rallied slightly as the day progressed, and at time of writing were trading at $0.93. [ + ]

Recombinant Capital's Mark Edwards has some unfashionable advice for Australian life science companies: don't hold out for a late-stage partnership with a pharmaceutical company at the expense of shoring up the company's future with early stage deals. [ + ]

Melbourne biopharma BioDiem (ASX:BDM) has entered the race to develop a treatment for the ophthalmic disorder, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), by taking a licence for a Russian-developed peptide therapeutic that has shown high promise in an Australian clinical trial. [ + ]

Sunshine Heart (ASX: SHC) listed on the ASX today at AUD$0.60 -- 10 cents above its issue price. But at time of writing the cardiac company's shares had slipped slightly lower to AUD$0.57. [ + ]

The University of Dundee's Sir Philip Cohen believes that pharmaceutical companies desperately need the help of academic labs, as drug development requires more and more knowledge about biological mechanisms to specifically target drugs. [ + ]

Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS) investors will be breathing easy after the company announced a positive result from its Phase II clinical trial of Bronchitol, its lead compound for treating the chronic lung disorder bronchiectasis. [ + ]

South Australian biopharma Bionomics(ASX:BNO) announced today it has licensed Boston company Athena Diagnostics to market its test for severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) to neurologists in North America and Japan. [ + ]