Industry News
OGTR gives thumbs-up to GM canola varieties
Australia has taken the penultimate step towards growing its second transgenic crop -- the oilseed canola with yesterday's decision by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator to release a risk-assessment and risk-management plan for Bayer CropScience's InVigor varieties, which contain three genes, two for hybrid vigour system, one for glufosinate resistance. [ + ]
GTG sues 'major US companies' for patent infringements
Melbourne company Genetic Technologies has filed lawsuits against three major US companies for infringement of the company's non-coding DNA patents. [ + ]
Govts urged to support homegrown tech
Start-ups are hard work and technology-based start-ups even harder, the CEO of one of Australia's best-known such ventures told last week's KCA commercialisation conference. [ + ]
Virax signs supply deal with US MedImmune
Virax Holdings has entered into a supply agreement with US biotechnology company MedImmune. [ + ]
DNA breakthrough could unlock evolution
The world's first fossil protein sequence has been carried out, making this a major scientific breakthrough, which has the potential to bring about changes in evolutionary theory.
[ + ]Feds block homegrown mass spec export
Ron Grey's company GBC Scientific Instruments makes one of the fastest and most sensitive mass spectrometers available. But the Victorian company has run into a big problem -- laws in Australia put into place to counter the development of weapons of mass destruction by other countries are making it almost impossible for the company to export its instruments. [ + ]
Spin-offs not always the answer: CSIRO business chief
Technology transfer, rather than spin-offs or other options, is the key to effective commercialisation at CSIRO, according to the organisation's recently appointed executive director of business development. [ + ]
Research strengths key to good tech transfer: Penn head
Eminent scientists should remain in the lab producing research results, rather than join a start-up company based on their work, according to the head of one of the most successful technology transfer offices in the US. [ + ]
Automatic observatory probes Antarctic skies
As the Antarctic sun sets for winter, the world's first automated observatory will continue beaming data from the Antarctic plateau back to UNSW.
[ + ]Prana tackles Parkinson's disease
A paper published in prestigious journal Neuron has heralded Prana Biotechnology's technology as a potential therapeutic for Parkinson's disease and revealed the company's strategy to develop its MPAC (metal protein attenuating protein) class of compounds as a platform technology for a variety of diseases. [ + ]
UWA physicist wins national science award
The ongoing search for gravitational waves has won the 2003 Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award for Professor David Blair of The University of Western Australia's School of Physics.
[ + ]Scientist unlocks secret of Min Min lights
A University of Queensland neuroscientist has revealed the probable basis of a bizarre Australian Outback phenomenon that has baffled observers and scientists for centuries.
[ + ]BigShop loses bid for Biota board
A bid by Perth entrepreneur Farooq Khan to win a seat on the board of Biota Holdings was defeated by other shareholders at a heated meeting in Melbourne this afternoon. [ + ]
QBF to make first investments
The Queensland BioCapital Fund (QBF) appears set to throw its considerable weight into the venture capital scene in the most practical way possible - by making its first investments. [ + ]
Melbourne firm develops JAK kinase inhibitor
A new JAK kinase inhibitor developed by Melbourne biotech Cytopia had far higher activity than blockbuster drug Glivec in tests on cells from a patient with chronic myeloid leukaemia, the company announced today. [ + ]