The National Stem Cell Centre has signed a collaboration agreement with Singapore-based ES Cell International (ESI) to develop new human embryonic stem cell-based treatments for diabetes and other diseases. [ + ]

Evolutionary biologists talk about a perpetual arms race between predators and prey -- an unwinnable war in which one combatant achieves a transient advantage before the other develops a counter-measure. But it seems that at least one native hardwood of Australia's tropical north found a game-ending defence against termites that keeps its wood nice long after it expires. [ + ]

Epitan (ASX: EPT) has acquired three dermatological products in its push to become a specialty dermatology pharmaceuticals company. [ + ]

The Burrill Australia Life Science Fund has raised AUD$150 of its planned $200 million venture capital fund in just over a year -- but more than half of it comes from overseas institutions. [ + ]

A softening market and a low share price have had an impact on PanBio's (ASX:PBO) recently completed share purchase plan offering to shareholders, which has raised just under AUD$1 million out of a possible $4.2 million. [ + ]

Next year's Lorne conferences, the traditional summer high point for Australian life science researchers, will not be held at Lorne. [ + ]

Queensland's biotechnology industry is beginning to capitalise on southern discomfort over genetically modified (GM) organisms, with the Cooperative Research Centre for Pest Animal Control (CRC-PAC) shifting its research team from Gungahlin, in Canberra, to the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University of Queensland. [ + ]

Modern genetics is finally laying to rest some of the arguments about the expansion of humans out of Africa and across the world, says Washington University professor Alan Templeton, who presented data from his work on human genetic evolution at this week's Genetics Society of Australia conference in Melbourne. [ + ]

Nanotechnology company Psivida (ASX: PSD) has had its research applying its BioSilicon technology to drug delivery, diagnostics, orthopaedics and tissue engineering recognised with a 2004 Excellence in Research Award from US consulting group Frost & Sullivan. [ + ]

The seventh patient has been implanted with Ventracor's (ASX:VCR) VentrAssist left ventricular assistance device as part of the company's pilot trial at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. [ + ]

In 1967, Gosford reptile expert Athol Compton suffered a shallow, grazing bite to his thumb while attempting to capture an unfamiliar, large light brown snake with a dark head in Corner Country, in far southwest Queensland. [ + ]

Melbourne biotechnology company BioDiem Limited (ASX:BDM) has reported promising results from the first field trial of its BDM-I antimicrobial as a poultry feed additive. [ + ]

Brisbane oncology drug developer Progen Industries (ASX:PGL, NASDAQ:PGLAF) today announced it has begun the fourth and largest Phase II clinical trial of its lead anti-cancer drug PI-88 in patients who have undergone surgery for primary liver cancer. [ + ]

ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals (formerly AGT Biosciences; ASX: CXS) has raised AUD$6.2 million through a 15 per cent placement to existing and new shareholders at $0.48 per share, a discount of almost 15 per cent to yesterday's closing price of $0.56. [ + ]

Sydney-based biotech Psiron (ASX:PXS) is putting its house in order -- having announced its intention to license oncolytic enteroviruses technology from University of Newcastle alumnus Virotarg, the company today said the license would trigger an AUD$2.5 million capital raising. [ + ]