Ecological sustainability and the economic growth required to provide jobs, living space and other resources for the growing populations is a challenge. This is the theme of the Australian Population Association conference being held in Melbourne from November 29th to December 1st 2000.

Following the discovery of a particular molecule that will help to create suitable bacteria, an attempt to eliminate asthma by inoculating newly born babies with a simple tuberculosis-style injection is to be made in 2001.

For the first time since its inception in 1980, two winners share the Glaxo Wellcome Australian Medal honours.

The President of the National Academies Forum, Professor Malcolm Gillies has reported that the growing tragedy of HIV/AIDS world-wide, particularly in Africa and the Asian-Pacific nations, is unprecedented. The pandemic may be more deadly globally than the 14th century's Black Death which killed about 25 million, or the 1918-19's influenza epidemic which killed about 20 million.

A professor of theoretical physics will use chilled atoms to create a 'black hole' in a test-tube.

A breakthrough by scientists may lead to new methods of fighting cancer by making tumour cells kill themselves.

Leaders in space technology development will come together from 1 - 3rd December, 2000 in Brisbane for the 10th annual Australian Space Research Institute (ASRI) conference.

Researchers at the University of Technology in Sydney are taking steps to solve the problem of a parasite that causes abortion in cattle, resulting in Australian dairy and beef industry losses of about $100 million p/yr.

A herd of Australian sheep in Wales is being used as a biological factory to create a treatment for overdose victims.

Landholders have welcomed the adapting of zinc phosphide to combat rats in agriculture.

Researchers from Southern Cross University will present a paper on the impact and aftermath of Papua New Guinea's volcanic eruptions to the 112th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America. The conference will be attended by some 700 American and international 9-18 November, in Reno, Nevada.

Demand for the wired and wireless devices that deliver network access is eating up more semiconductors, according to a pair of recent forecasts that predict global chip revenue will breeze past $US 300 billion by 2003.

Two parallel high capacity Marconi optical networks are to be installed from north to south across Malaysia as the country commits to dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) technology to meet its growing internet demands.

Negative connotations with the word 'manufacturing' in the community need to be abolished. The reality is that companies once involved in 'smoke-stack' manufacturing activities now are evolving into value-adding enterprises offering products and innovative technological solutions for world markets.

Sydney-based company, Proteome Systems and Australian biotechnology company Gradipore have announced a collaborative agreement to develop and manufacture two-dimensional gel technologies for the proteomics market.