Industry News
GM farmer warns no case for canola -- yet
NSW farmer Bruce Finney cultivates more than 7000 hectares of GM crops, including soy beans and maize, and fully supports the use of GM cotton. Ask him about GM canola, and he tells a different story. [ + ]
Gradipore to target chiral market
Hot on the heels of a new technology-exchange deal with Texas A&M University, Gradipore is to chase the chiral separation market with a product based its membrane purification technology. [ + ]
NSCC looks towards global stage
Prof Alan Trounson is stepping away from his role as CEO of the National Stem Cell Centre (NSCC) to become its Global Science Strategic Advisor, with a focus on expanding the centre's international relationships and influence. [ + ]
Ethics committees must be more professional: Hall
Ethics committees helping to oversee bio-research need to be put on a more professional footing, according a leading member of Australia’s ethics community, Prof Wayne Hall. [ + ]
Red letter day for synchrotron project
Calling today a "red letter day" for the Australian National Synchrotron project, Victorian Minister for Innovation, John Brumby, announced that Australian construction company Thiess was the successful tenderer to design and construct the building to house the 67 metre diameter machine, 30 plus beamlines, and associated laboratories, offices and technical facilities. [ + ]
New research may save millions in exploration costs
A new technique, applied to oil exploration for the first time, has the potential to save exploration companies millions of dollars in wasted effort.
[ + ]GroPep wins patent for infertility drug
GroPep's infertility drug program has received a boost recently with the issue of a patent covering the compound, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). [ + ]
Ventracor aiming for CE approval by next year
Ventracor's VentrAssist left ventricular assist device may see market approval as early as next year, according to company CEO, Michael Spooner. [ + ]
Clone sheep company to cull
Following Bayer's withdrawal from joint drug developments with Scottish cloning specialists PPL, the company's New Zealand offshoot is to cull its flock of transgenic sheep, and reduce staff numbers. [ + ]
US backs down on health IP
Strong negative reaction from local industry bodies has led to the US modifying plans to snare biotech IP by funding grants to Australian researchers. [ + ]
Funding to study how embryo stress impacts later life
A team of researchers headed by the University of Adelaide has been awarded a US$1.27 million grant from the United States to study how lifestyle and health "stress" on eggs and embryos can impact on the later life of children.
[ + ]Eiffel signs asthma drug deal with US company
Delivery platform specialist Eiffel Technologies has scored a benchmark deal with US-based asthma drug delivery company, Oriel Therapeutics, to re-engineer asthma drugs optimised for inhaler delivery. [ + ]
ASX talks up 'Ozdaq' plan
The Australian Stock Exchange is considering an Australian version of the Nasdaq to cater for the special needs of young technology companies -- especially biotechs. And if the regulators agree, the plans could start seeing the light of day in as little as a month or two. [ + ]
New ‘virtual’ biotechnology research institute
Biotechnology research in New South Wales universities has previously been quite fragmented, but in an attempt to create synergies and collaborative opportunities to bring people with an interest in biotechnology together, Macquarie University has created a new 'virtual' institute - the Macquarie University Biotechnology Research Institute.
[ + ]Monash boosted by Agilent equipment grant
Monash biomedical science students will get hands-on experience with mass spectrometry thanks to a US$150,000 equipment grant from Agilent Technologies awarded to the School of Biomedical Sciences today. [ + ]