Diagnostics company Rockeby Biomed is readying itself to float on the ASX in a back door listing through Carbine Corporation. [ + ]

Perth-based nanomaterials specialist pSivida (ASX:PSD) has acquired the rights to use porous silicon mirror technology from German research agency Forschungszentrum Julich. [ + ]

BresaGen (ASX:BGN) has assigned its cell delivery catheter licenses to North American company NexGen Technologies for about $380,000 plus a four per cent share in NexGen. [ + ]

Melbourne biotechnology company BioDiem has lodged a prospectus with ASIC for an AUD$10 million float opening on December 4. [ + ]

Phenomix, based jointly in San Diego and Canberra, has appointed experienced biotechnology executive Dr Julie Cherrington as president of operations to oversee its Australian activities as it moves into pre-clinical and clinical programs. [ + ]

Cochlear has named ResMed executive VP Dr Chris Roberts as its new CEO, replacing Jack O'Mahony. [ + ]

Adelaide is set to become the leading site for the co-ordination of drug and alcohol research and training in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sydney-based medical device firm Polartechnics (ASX:PLT) has used a combination of a share placement and a share purchase plan to raise AUD$11.25 million to expand its global sales and marketing efforts and refine its production processes. [ + ]

Perth biotech Solbec Pharmaceuticals (ASX:SBP) has received approval to commence a Phase I clinical trial on its lead cancer therapeutic SBP002. [ + ]

Brisbane-based Peplin Biotech has acquired a portfolio of synthetic engineered polyunsaturated fatty acid compounds from researchers at Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital in a deal worth AUD$225,000 plus shares and options worth around $350,000. [ + ]

Victoria's state government has pledged AUD$1.5 million funding for a wallaby genome project, which needs around $6 million to match US National Institutes of Health funding to proceed. [ + ]

Using sophisticated computer algorithms running on standard desktop computers, researchers have designed and constructed a novel functional protein that is not found in nature. The achievement should enable researchers to explore larger questions about how proteins evolved and why nature 'chose' certain protein folds over others.

Knowing how different types of bacteria exchange genes is vitally important to regulators trying to decide how safe genetically modified organisms are but, so far, the way genes are transferred naturally is poorly understood.

A new protein discovery sheds light on how chemical information is transported within cells. A group of researchers, which includes Dartmouth Professor of Biological Sciences Roger Sloboda, have found the protein EB1 in Chlamydomonas, a single-celled organism commonly used to study cell biology. Previous research has implicated EB1 in the progression of many colon cancers.

Alistair Lees spends much of his research time hoping to see the light.