Venture capitalists are hungry for systems biology, data mining, and anything that targets "where the rat is in the snake," said James Sherblom, chairman and managing partner of Seaflower Ventures Inc, speaking at the biotech financing round table held on March 14 at the BioITWorld Conference and Expo in Boston. [ + ]

Melbourne biotechnology company Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (ASX:MBP) has entered into licence and research agreements with Sydney's Heart Research Institute (HRI) to develop a drug for the treatment of iron overload diseases. [ + ]

A leading dermatologist has joined the board of the Australian company behind a new tanning drug. [ + ]

Shimadzu Biotech, the bio-IT arm of Japan's Shimadzu Corp, and Boston-based start-up GenoMems have signed a deal under which the two companies plan to develop and commercialise a fast DNA sequencer. [ + ]

Federal Labor MPs have voted to give themselves a conscience vote on the issue of stem cell research.

New South Wales anglican bishops have joined catholic bishops in supporting stem cell research, as long as it does not destroy human embryos.

A gene with links to both epilepsy and intellectual disability has been identified for the first time by researchers at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide.

A new standing committe on science and technology has been announced by the Federal government. [ + ]

Closer ties between a Texas biomedical research powerhouse and Queensland biotech institutes have been foreshadowed by Queensland Premier Peter Beattie. [ + ]

Karen Lower has won Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital's annual Young Investigator of the Year Award for her work identifying the genetic cause of Borjeson-Forssman-Lehmann Syndrome (BFLS), a severe form of intellectual disability. [ + ]

Biomedicine companies emerged the big winners among 22 biotech hopefuls who will share $4.74 million in the latest round of Biotechnology Innovation Fund grants. [ + ]

Australian scientists are claiming a world-first technique for using DNA 'fingerprints' of bacteria as an early warning system against disease epidemics. [ + ]

Optical technologies group Iatia has closed its initial public offering two days early after successfully raising $5 million to assist its commercialisation program. [ + ]

The Queensland Institute of Medical Research has received a $3.43 million grant from Atlantic Philanthropies to further its work in developing a treatment for cancer without harmful side effects.

Stem Cell Sciences has been granted the international patent for a form of cell nucleus replacement cloning, the technique used by Scottish scientists to clone Dolly the sheep in 1997.