Industry News
CSIRO looks at RNAi for plants and pest control
An ambitious project to knock-out the 25,000-plus genes of Arabidopsis one at a time using RNA interference (RNAi) is being developed by a European consortium headed by Ian Small at France's Unit‚ de Recherche en Genomique Vegetale (URGV) using a plasmid vector designed by CSIRO Plant Industry researchers to deliver hairpin RNA constructs. [ + ]
Bionomics, Florey in epilepsy collaboration
Adelaide biomed company Bionomics (ASX: BNO) has established a strategic research collaboration with the Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine that it hopes will speed its development of new drugs for epilepsy and other brain disorders. [ + ]
Xcell to complete Visiomed acquisition
Perth based devices company Xcell Diagnostics will finalise its acquisition of German company Visiomed this week, propelling Xcell into a leading position in skin cancer diagnostic instrumentation. [ + ]
PanBio losses cut, but riding flat sales
Medical diagnostics company PanBio has capped a period of management and structural reorganisation by announcing sharply curtailed first-half losses but flat revenues. [ + ]
New director seeks broader role for AGRF
Dr Sue Forrest, the new head of the Australian Genome Research Facility, is keen to raise the facility's profile as a natural home for agricultural genomics as well as biomedical, she said today. [ + ]
HIV vaccine research landscape 'not all doom and gloom'
New approaches mean there is still hope for an effective HIV vaccine, Australian researchers have said in the wake of today's release of disappointing AIDS vaccine results by US company VaxGen. [ + ]
More than meets the eye as Affymetrix chases transcription
With the increasing recognition of the importance of non-coding RNA in regulation and control of gene expression, it now appears there is much more to the genome than meets the eye. [ + ]
NSW govt moves to boost research bandwidth networks
The NSW government has moved to improve the networking capabilities of the state's research centres by pledging $AUD1.45 million over four years to the creation of high-bandwidth networks. [ + ]
Chemeq claims drug effective against cancer cells
Perth-based Chemeq has announced that its polymeric antimicrobial product was capable of killing gastrointestinal cancer cells. [ + ]
Concept of extra dimensions showing hints of scientific revolution
The concept of extra dimensions, dismissed as nonsense even by one of its earliest proponents nearly nine decades ago, may soon help solve seemingly unrelated problems in particle physics, cosmology and gravitational physics, according to a panel of experts who recently assembled at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Denver.
[ + ]Leaner, meaner Amrad refocuses on R&D
Melbourne-based drug discovery company Amrad has rationalised its R&D portfolio, the company announced yesterday, with a renewed focus on five projects in the development and pre-clinical stage. [ + ]
WEHI scientist wins Eppendorf research award
Hamish Scott, of Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, was presented with the Eppendorf Award for Young Australian Researchers at this week's 24th Lorne Genome Conference. [ + ]
Chemeq compound shows liquid promise
The antimicrobial compound developed by Perth-based pharmaceutical company Chemeq is beginning to look it might be a useful addition to domestic water supplies. [ + ]
Proteomics facility launches its latest phase
The Australian Proteome Analysis Facility (APAF) today launched the latest phase of its development, unveiling a new logo and plans to become self-sufficient within the next five years. [ + ]
Khan pushes on with Biota board bid
The largest shareholder in drug developer Biota Holdings, Perth entrepreneur Farooq Khan, is renewing his bid to force his way onto its board by calling for a March 28 general meeting in Melbourne. [ + ]