Industry News
Local scientists slam UK anti-GM report
Scientists have criticised a new report -- Seeds of doubt: North American farmers' experiences of GE crops -- released by the Soil Association, the UK's main campaigning organisation for organic farming. [ + ]
Melbourne Uni teams up with US company for Alzheimer's drugs
Looking to develop new methods to test Alzhiemer's drugs, US-based company Axonyx has signed an agreement with University of Melbourne's Dr David Small. [ + ]
Melbourne researchers uncover new diabetes syndrome
A Melbourne University study has thrown new light on a dangerous complication of insulin-dependent diabetes called hypoglycaemic unawareness, which can cause diabetics to lapse into an insulin-induced coma. [ + ]
Xenografting success brings hope for animal conservation
Endangered species could now live forever following research that shows an animal's ovarian tissue grafted onto tissues in another species can produce healthy live young.
[ + ]Funds lagging for new stem cell centre
A skeleton administrative staff is at work on the $43.5 million National Stem Cell Centre even though Federal government has yet to sign a deed of agreement for the controversial research institute. [ + ]
Promics progresses with BIF money
A $216,800 government grant to Promics is the latest piece of good news for the young biotech and its anti-inflammatory drug candidate PMX53. [ + ]
AusBiotech to probe industry's insurance woes
Rumours that biotechnology companies are finding it hard to renew professional indemnity insurance policies have led industry association AusBiotech to investigate the potential for problems. [ + ]
VC tax reforms could assist biotech
The Federal government is implementing changes to venture capital tax structures which carry positive long-term implications for biotech companies seeking risk capital. [ + ]
GM cotton gains Australian approval for commercial release
The OGTR has approved Monsanto's application for commercial release of its GM cotton varieties in some areas. [ + ]
Do long legs mean healthy life?
With what initially seems extraordinarily unrelated data, a postgraduate medical student at the University of Western Australia has confirmed the link between the size of an unborn baby's thigh bone and the future health of that child.
[ + ]Melbourne-based science journal ranks high on the world scale
Melbourne-based journal Human Mutation has become one of the top international journals in the genetics field. [ + ]
Lack of vision critical: FASTS report
Australia's peak council for science and technology delivered a state-of-the-nation report to Federal Parliament this week that shows Australia slipping further off the pace among industrialised nations in its performance in science, technology and higher education. [ + ]
Virus find reinforces Biotron's 'exit strategy'
Directors of Canberra-based HIV drug-therapeutic company Biotron have announced that the company's researchers have confirmed that two Australian native viruses -- Ross River Virus, the agent of epidemic polyarthritis, and its cousin, Barmah Forest Virus -- possess genes for ion channels. [ + ]
Feds to fine-tune science blueprint
Only 18 months into its $2.9 billion Backing Australia's Ability program, the Federal government is looking to adjust its innovation blueprint -- and that could involve culling some elements that aren't working, Science Minister Peter McGauran has foreshadowed. [ + ]
Genetics congress tipped to be Australia's biggest science event
The Genetics Congress 2003 will be the biggest scientific event to have ever been held in Australia, organisers claim. [ + ]
