AgGenomics, a joint venture between Genetic Technologies and the Victorian State Government's Agriculture Victoria Services, has entered into a two year collaborative program with Horticulture Australia to identify genetic markers in strawberries. [ + ]

Perth biotechnology company Chemeq (ASX: CMQ) has raised a whopping $AUD25 million in a share placement to institutional and sophisticated investors. [ + ]

Professor Wayne Hall of the Queensland-based Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) has been named as one of the most published authors in his field - the genetics of addiction and mental disorders. [ + ]

It is no secret that breast milk is considered by many to be one of the world's most nutritious drinks, however, it seems that Nature's 'wonder' liquid may also be more clever than previously thought.

The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) have joined forces to create the largest respiratory and sleep research network in the southern hemisphere. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed by both groups, allowing large clinical studies to be run across both sites. The larger pool of volunteers is expected to strengthen research findings.

Steve Burrill, long time money man for the IT and biotech industries, visited Australia last week to raise $200million for a new biotech fund. He described this decade as being of such importance that it will be remembered in 1000 years' time. ABN met with him, and asked why. Jeremy Torr reports. [ + ]

The National Stem Cell Centre (NSCC) has recruited expatriate Australian scientist Dr Stephen Livesey to be the chief scientific officer of the Centre, Victorian Premier Steve Bracks has announced on the eve of the BIO2003 conference in Washington DC. [ + ]

Consumable and mining chemical company Sigma is reported as being latest in the queue to buy TGA-smitten Pan Pharmaceuticals. Other bidders are believed to include API and major Pan creditor Mayne [ + ]

Melbourne biotechnology company Amrad has formed a research collaboration with Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) with a total worth of $US112 million plus royalties to develop therapeutic drugs for asthma, respiratory diseases and cancer, the company announced today at the BIO2003 conference in Washington DC. [ + ]

In a release described as “correcting the record”, CSIRO has fired a salvo over Benitec and Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI)’s bows on gene silencing patent claims. [ + ]

CSIRO Bioinformatics is taking its latest statistical toolkit to Bio, with the intention of tapping into the burgeoning microarray analysis market. [ + ]

Data-intensive research fields such as physics and life science will soon benefit from grid computing technology, a new method for analysing massive amounts of data demonstrated in Australia for the first time at the recent ICCS 2003 (International Conference on Computational Science) in Melbourne. [ + ]

Analysing what might seem to be meaningless masses of numbers can lead to important discoveries, such as a powerful new anti-cancer drug. But you need to use the right statistical tools, according to Dr David Mitchell of CSIRO Bioinformatics.

The OGTR has stopped the clock for a second time on Bayer CropScience's application for commercial release of its InVigor genetically modified canola. [ + ]

The Garvan Institute celebrated 40 years of sharp end research into cancer and associated diseases last week -- and in the process gained over $1million in research funds. [ + ]