In 1881 an American, William Purvis, pocketed a handful of macadamia nuts from a tree in the Gold Coast hinterland and spirited them away to Hawaii. [ + ]

Australian sleep apnoea devices manufacturer ResMed has taken out the 2002 NSW Premier's Exporter of the Year Award as well as the award for the 2002 NSW Exporter of the Year in the Large Advanced Manufacturer category, which is for manufacturers with more than $20 million in annual sales. [ + ]

A new Australian developed device that boosts failing hearts while they repair themselves has won a silver medal in the Far Eastern Economic Review's annual Asian Innovation Awards. [ + ]

A conference in China attended by two Australian scientists may lead to closer links between the two countries. [ + ]

The outcome of a Senate committee inquiry into proposed embryonic human stem cell research legislation suggests it may require extensive surgery to pass a Senate vote. [ + ]

One of Australia's recurring agricultural problems is drought, and this year is no exception, with widespread drought conditions across many of Australia's prime agricultural regions. So it's not surprising to discover that developing drought-tolerant crops is a major target for breeders and agricultural biotechnologists around Australia. [ + ]

Melbourne biotechnology company EpiTan has received approval from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Ethics Committee in Sydney to proceed to Phase IIb clinical trials of its tan-inducing compound Melanotan next month. [ + ]

A cell-based cancer therapy developed by the Austin Research Institute and Prima Biomed subsidiary company Cancer Vac has passed through Phase I clinical trials with no signs of significant treatment related side-effects. [ + ]

The NSW government's new BioFirst biotechnology incubator is on track for its February 2003 opening and has made named a high-level tech transfer specialist as its associate director. [ + ]

The performance and pay of Biota Holdings' directors have been attacked by the drug discovery company's largest shareholder. [ + ]

Anti-cancer company Sirtex Medical has been given the green light to begin marketing and sales of its lead product SIR-Spheres in the European Community. [ + ]

Lab automation specialist Advanced Rapid Robotic Manufacturing (ARRM) is simultaneously winning professional accolades and expanding its revenue base. [ + ]

Applying technologies for the sustainable management of arid lands, including solar and wind energy use, and water and waste management systems and practices, will be the focus of the new South Australian Centre for Arid Land Technology (SACALT) based at UniSA’s Whyalla campus.

AstraZeneca is investing another $35 million in its joint effort with Queensland's Griffith University to search out naturally-occurring bioactive molecules with pharmaceutical potential. [ + ]

It looks like any other wheat variety, and it's not genetically engineered, but Drysdale, a new semi-dwarf wheat cultivar launched today in Wagga Wagga, is a harbinger of an agricultural revolution. [ + ]