Scientists believe that a healthy diet and regular exercise are once more key factors in staving off cancer.

Cholesterol results which are just slightly above or below the recommended level, should be done again at another time of the year.

President of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor Brian Anderson, said "This year, political parties and business and community groups have come to a remarkable degree of agreement on the need to promote science and education in Australia for the economic and social benefits that they bring."

Researchers have found that a human hormone could be used to help prevent heart disease.

An Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics will be established to support the grains industry, the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Dr David Kemp, and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Warren Truss, have just announced.

Scientists have identified a gene that plays a crucial role in human language and speech.

An Australian firm, Novogen, has released the results of a study involving promensil.

A technique using living cells heralds the creation of artificial livers and pancreases in the near future.

Innovation and Information Economy Minister, Paul Lucas, has just announced a commercial research and development venture involving the University of Southern Queensland and the private sector.

Researchers at the Institute of Food Research in England are harnessing the powers of friendly bacteria and yeasts to help defend us against food poisoning, and fungal and yeast infections.

A link between a common vegetable disease and Type 1 diabetes has been identified by Australian researchers.

A screening device for cervical cancer and pre-cancer, developed by Australian company Polartechnics in collaboration with CSIRO, has entered final clinical trials for regulatory approval for use in Europe.

The additional funding means support for the Cooperative Research Centres program will increase from $143 million in 2001 to $198 million a year in 2003. Funding will increase again in 2005 to $256 million per annum.

The National Health and Medical Research Council has a limited fund to assist Australian participation in research projects selected for funding under the European Commission's Fifth Framework program.

50% of all patients with hereditary breast or ovarian cancer have mutations in a gene called BRCA1. Now the first images of the protein the gene encodes, BRCA1, are helping researchers work out how the mutations cause human disease.