I can hear big pharma screaming
24 September, 2012A systematic review of the effects of antihypertensive drug therapy on people with mild hypertension has found no benefits come with the drugs. If this review is accurate, big pharma won’t be happy and the government will be thrilled.
Genetic test predicts risk for autism
18 September, 2012A team of Australian researchers, led by the University of Melbourne, has developed a genetic test that is able to predict the risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Prosthetic device restores and improves decision-making ability in animals
17 September, 2012An electronic prosthetic system has been used on monkeys to restore and improve the animals’ decision-making performances.
UWA discovery helps search for extraterrestrial life on Mars
13 September, 2012A discovery at The University of Western Australia (UWA) that microbes helped shape rare spheres of iron-oxide on Earth may aid the newly landed rover Curiosity in its search for the first verifiable signs of extraterrestrial life in similar rocks on Mars.
What happened to the ‘junk’ in my DNA?
07 September, 201280% of human DNA comprises genetic regulatory elements according to a new human genome map.
Flu is transmitted before symptoms appear, study suggests
31 August, 2012Research at Imperial College London examining influenza transmission in ferrets suggests that the virus can be passed on before the appearance of symptoms. If the finding applies to humans, it means that people pass on flu to others before they know they’re infected, making it very difficult to contain epidemics.
Devil disease is immortal, new study finds
31 August, 2012The outlook for Tasmanian devils appears even worse following breakthrough research by the University of Sydney, recently published in the journal PLoS One.
Taking your genes to vote
31 August, 2012It is becoming increasingly evident that genetics plays a much larger role in political behaviour than was previously thought.
‘Naked Darth Vader’ approach could tame antibiotic-resistant superbugs
29 August, 2012Rather than trying to kill bacteria outright with drugs, Université de Montréal researchers have discovered a way to disarm bacteria that may allow the body’s own defence mechanisms to destroy them.
Artificial tissues with embedded nanoscale sensors
28 August, 2012A multi-institutional research team has developed a method for embedding networks of biocompatible nanoscale wires within engineered tissues. These networks - which mark the first time that electronics and tissue have been truly merged in 3D - allow direct tissue sensing and potentially stimulation, a potential boon for development of engineered tissues that incorporate capabilities for monitoring and stimulation, and of devices for screening new drugs.
Advances in decades-old dream of mining seawater for uranium
22 August, 2012Scientists have reported progress towards a 40-year-old dream of extracting uranium for nuclear power from seawater, which holds at least four billion tonnes of the precious material.
Researchers develop DNA sequencing tests for hereditary diseases
22 August, 2012Scientists at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School (UMDNJ-NJMS) have developed DNA sequencing tests that hold significant promise for decreasing costs associated with diagnosing cancer and hereditary diseases, including cystic fibrosis.
Scientists’ gold discovery sheds light on catalysis
21 August, 2012A physicist at the University of York has played a key role in international research which has made an important advance in establishing the catalytic properties of gold at a nano level.
Accidental breakthrough on the puzzle of atmospheric acids
17 August, 2012In a classic example of an accidental scientific breakthrough, a University of Sydney research team may have solved the mystery of why there is more non-industrial acid in air than anyone can explain.
Botany student proves ‘New England Banksia’ a distinct species
17 August, 2012Research by Margaret Stimpson, a postgraduate student of botany at the University of New England, has given the New England region its very own species of banksia: Banksia neoanglica.
