Common sea sponge may yield clues to early cell development
06 August, 2010 by Staff WritersIt’s not normally something that would inspire scuba divers to do a double take, but a species of sponge commonly found on the Great Barrier Reef has researchers all in a lather at the prospect of learning about the genesis of cell behaviour.
Feature: Hunting for a hepatitis vaccine
04 August, 2010 by Fiona WylieProfessor Andrew Lloyd of the University of New South Wales is one of the central figures in the HITS study (Hepatitis C Incidence and Transmission Study) is a long-term prospective cohort study of eligible prison inmates in NSW. Lloyd’s cohort comprises high-risk, uninfected injecting drug users, who are followed at regular intervals longitudinally.
Causes of gluten intolerance discovered
22 July, 2010 by David BinningResearchers at the Walta and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) reported today that they have found the three key protein fragments in gluten that cause an immune response in those with coeliac disease.
Studies reveal iPS cells stay true to their roots
22 July, 2010 by Staff WritersTwo research groups connected with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute this week published the results of studies which highlight crucial differences between embryonic and induced pluripotent stem iPS cells.
Athlomics launches biomarker test for sepsis
20 July, 2010 by Staff WritersBrisbane-based molecular diagnostics company, Athlomics, has provided the first of its SeptiCyte Lab kits for the diagnosis of sepsis to Brisbane’s Mater Pathology.
Feature: Weapons of mass infection
19 July, 2010 by Fiona WylieHartland and her team at the University of Melbourne study highly specialised systems used by many pathogenic bacteria to boost their own virulence. One such bacterial system is the Type III secretion system (T3SS), which was identified in the early 1990s in Yersinia, a genus of bacteria infamous for causing plague.
Feature: Secrets of stem cell differentiation
28 May, 2010 by Fiona WylieHow does an embryonic stem (ES) cell ‘know’ how to become one of the 200 plus adult cells into which it can transform? What does it need in terms of chemical, signalling and environmental cues to become, for example, blood, skin, nerve, heart or pancreas?
The two faces of embryonic stem cells
26 May, 2010 by Tim DeanEmbryonic stem (ES) cells - those karyotypically normal immortal cell lines that can give rise to all other cell types of that organism - are believed to hold great promise for therapeutic applications.
Feature: At the frontier of stem cell research
20 May, 2010 by Staff WritersThe developmental fate of cells was once thought to be determined when they began travelling down the road of differentiation, but research has shown that the identity of adult cells can be manipulated, opening intriguing prospects of using cellular reprogramming for therapeutic purposes.
Updating the bacteria 'tree of life'
18 May, 2010 by Staff WritersA new 'tree of life' has been constructed for the gamma-proteobacteria, a large group of medically and scientifically important bacteria that includes Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and other disease-causing organisms.
Prader-Willi Syndrome obesity linked to sleep apnoea
13 May, 2010 by Tim DeanResearchers at the Garvan Institute have revealed some insights into the disorder, finding it is also associated with an overactive immune response and may be linked to speel apnoea.
Together at last - Mesoblast acquires Angioblast
12 May, 2010 by Tim DeanMelbourne-based Mesoblast, developer of stem cell therapies, has bought out all remaining shares of its US-based associate company, Angioblast Systems.
Theory of single stem cell for blood components challenged
05 March, 2010 by Staff WritersResearchers from Australia and the US find that blood cells are derived from a number of stem cell subtypes.
Lorne special: Cell polarity and the T-cell
03 February, 2010 by Fiona WylieA collaborative venture between Sarah Russell at Peter Mac and microscopists at Swinbourne University of Technology is yielding insights into the behaviour of T cells.
Copper-free click chemistry used in mice
20 January, 2010 by Staff WritersThe widely used molecular synthesis technique known as click chemistry has been safely applied to a living organism for the first time.
