Nobel Laureate James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, has withdrawn from attending the International Congress of Genetics due to a serious illness in the family. [ + ]

The publication of a paper on the three dimensional structure of a protein discovered and patented by Victorian company AGT Biosciences by scientists at a major pharmaceutical company last week was a wake-up call that AGT was competitive in the global arena, CEO Prof Greg Collier told Australian Biotechnology News today. [ + ]

South Australia's fledgling biotechnology industry has received the first of two shots in the arm with the commissioning of Hydra, a $AUD1.7 million system that is Australia's third-largest supercomputer and the largest of its type. [ + ]

A leading scientist is to be the inaugural director of the $50 million Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, announced. [ + ]

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

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. [ + ]