Gene silencing company Benitec has taken a giant stride forward on the world stage by sealing a global licensing agreement for its technology with leading life sciences industry supplier Promega Corp. [ + ]

Biotechnology companies should make themselves aware of the new guidelines for corporate governance released by the ASX recently, says Chris Sotiropoulos, VP for commercialisation at Melbourne-based technology business development and commercialisation company Biocomm. [ + ]

Australian investors tend to adopt a herd mentality and this is making it difficult for listed Australian biotechnology companies to retain their liquidity and make inroads into the investment community, the Australian Stock Exchange's James Gerraty told attendees at an AusBiotech roadshow in Melbourne this week. [ + ]

Melbourne company Boron Molecular has named its new research laboratory in honour of the Japanese scientist whose reaction, the Suzuki Coupling, underpins the company's technology. [ + ]

In a move that caused a 35 cent jump in the company's stock price, Melbourne firm Circadian announced yesterday that it would buy back up to 10 per cent of the company's outstanding shares. [ + ]

BresaGen's negotiations to acquire the rights to US company Plurion's embryonic stem cell technology have hit a stumbling block, sending the two companies back to the table to restructure the deal. [ + ]

Blood diagnostics company Agenix is cutting itself loose from Synbiotics, the key distributor of its veterinary diagnostic products in US and European markets. [ + ]

Research at the University of Technology, Sydney, is helping scientists understand why some waterways remain mostly unpolluted despite being pumped with sewage and industrial and agricultural waste.

Despite rumours that Sirtex's Dr Bruce Gray is wanting to cash in his stake and sell out to established US pharma Cephalon, it appears he is still keen to steer his fledgling company towards a profitable future. [ + ]

Singapore's efforts to become a global hub for the biomedical sciences faced its first major hurdle last week with the sacking of world-renowned British neurologist, Dr Simon Shorvon, from his post as the director of the National Neuroscience Institute. [ + ]

A leading US bioethicist has praised Australia's new stem cell laws, describing them as enlightened. [ + ]

Singapore-based CordLife is looking to establish a local cord blood facility for as a precursor to expanding Australian operations in stem cell (haematopoietic stem cells or HSC) research. [ + ]

Further to moves by shareholder Australian Heritage Group (AHT) to shake out the board at VRI BioMedical, the war of words has intensified after a flurry of shareholder requisitions, withdrawals and accusations flying between the two companies. [ + ]

Western Australian mining-turned biotech company Solbec Pharmaceuticals has severed its last links with the minerals industry in a move it has signalled as "showing the market all our past history has gone." [ + ]

Artificial heart company Ventracor has been selected by Standard & Poor as one of its basket of standard stocks used to gauge market activity. [ + ]