Found – the apple gene for red
08 December, 2006CSIRO researchers have located the gene that controls the colour of apples – a discovery that may lead to bright new apple varieties.
UGA researchers use laser, nanotechnology to rapidly detect viruses
24 November, 2006Waiting a day or more to get laboratory results back from the doctor’s office soon could become a thing of a past.
Neanderthal genome sequencing yields surprising results
22 November, 2006Scientists with the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) have sequenced genomic DNA from fossilised Neanderthal bones with surprising results.
US$4.6m biotech product development initiative launched
21 November, 2006Box Hill Institute biotechnology students will get international training opportunities with the signing of an agreement with US-based company PaleoTechnology International.
Fuels from bacteria
21 September, 2006A breakthrough in the production of biofuels has been developed by scientists in Germany. Research published in the September 2006 issue of Microbiology, described how specially engineered bacteria could be used to make fuel completely from food crops.
Transforming the cow
18 August, 2006The ability of scientists to improve health and disease management of cattle and enhance the nutritional value of beef and dairy products has received a major boost with the release of the most complete sequence of the cow genome ever assembled.
DNA ends hold secrets to combating ageing and cancer
02 August, 2006An enzyme that is billions of years old holds the promise of renewing ageing tissues and combating cancer.
Australian science delivers higher yielding crops
28 July, 2006A string of scientific world-firsts has resulted in nine new ‘superfodders'. The disease-resistant animal feed crops of high yield have delivered more than $45m in benefits to Australia.
Quantum dots pose minimal impact to cells
19 July, 2006Nano-sized fluorescent probes that can slip inside living cells and clarify life’s most fundamental processes, or track the effectiveness of cancer-fighting drugs, are barely noticed by the cells they enter, according to a team of researchers led by the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
QUT research leads to stem cell breakthrough
08 June, 2006A Queensland University of Technology researcher has found a way to replace animal or human serum in the culture of human embryonic stem cells.
Sugar in cell communication
10 May, 2006A research team from Uppsala University has uncovered an entirely new mechanism for how communication between cells is regulated.
Delving into the pump mechanism mystery
07 April, 2006Researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology of the University of Helsinki have identified an internal electron transfer reaction that initiates the proton pump mechanism of the respiratory enzyme.
Critical gene for immune cell activation found
04 April, 2006Every time the human body encounters a virus, bacteria or other infectious agent, immune cells called B-lymphocytes multiply in lymph nodes and then swing into action to fight off the intruders.
Study into formation of an embryo
24 February, 2006A discovery from University of Missouri-Columbia scientists about the formation of an embryo and a placenta before implantation could explain why cloning often fails in farm and laboratory animals.
Monitoring of living cells
06 February, 2006Cell cultures often form the testing ground for new active agents. Results can only be reliable if cell growth is standardised. This process will soon happen automatically with a microscope to monitor growth and image processing to control cultivation via integrated robotics.
