Collaborators seek parasite invasion blockers
18 November, 2005A malaria research team, including WEHI Structural Biologist, Professor Ray Norton, has received a US$1 million grant from the US National Institutes of Health to develop more effective malaria treatments.
Method to detect potential bioterrorism agent
08 November, 2005A new combination of analytical chemistry and mathematical data analysis techniques allows the rapid identification of the species, strain and infectious phase of the potential biological terrorism agent Coxiella burnetii. The bacterium causes the human disease Q fever, which can cause serious illness and even death.
Cellular emotions
07 November, 2005University of Queensland researchers have identified a protein that is crucially involved in how memories are stored and processed, paving the way for new strategies to treat conditions of certain mental disorders.
Adult stem cells found in uterus
04 November, 2005Dr Caroline Gargett from Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) has discovered adult stem cells in the uterus that can be grown into bone, muscle, fat and cartilage and her research has been hailed as a major medical and scientific development by international reproduction experts.
Carbene work could give cheaper drugs
02 November, 2005Chemists at the University of California, Riverside have synthesised a new class of carbenes - molecules that have unusual carbon atoms - that is expected to have wide applications in the pharmaceutical industry, ultimately resulting in a reduction in the price of drugs.
Insulin synthesis without using E.coli
30 October, 2005If living cell is replaced by a test-tube with DNA and a set of substances, it is possible to get proteins in a more simple and inexpensive way. That was done by Russian biochemists synthesising insulin without help of transgene Escherichia coli.
Development of a quick detection method for complex immune analytes
29 October, 2005An analysis method permitting the simultaneous quantification of numerous parameters in the immune system was recently presented at the Campus Vienna Biocenter. The technology, which has been developed by Bender MedSystems, is based on the principle of a widespread analysis device and thus allows for rapid implementation in daily laboratory life. It thus succeeds in satisfying the growing demand at clinical and pharmaceutical organisations for increasingly efficient analysis methods at favourable costs.
Genes may predict response to ADHD medication
27 October, 2005Testable genetic differences might be used to predict the effectiveness of a medication commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a new study suggests.
Oncogene may lead to predictive test
25 October, 2005Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre say they have discovered a potential oncongene in ovarian cancer, which is the leading cause of gynaecological cancer death in US women.
Portable generic risk detection
24 October, 2005A portable biosensing device based on micro- and nanotechnologies is expected to help doctors rapidly and accurately forewarn patients of their genetic risk of developing diseases such as cancer.
Microchips for in vitro diagnostics
21 October, 2005DiagnoSwiss and bioMerieux have signed an exclusive licence agreement for the development and use of DiagnoSwiss electrochemical microchips in human in vitro diagnostics.
Investment to develop pain therapy
20 October, 2005A pain drug development company spun out of The University of Queensland has received a $3.25 million investment commitment to develop its innovative pain therapy.
Salivary bacteria as indicators of oral cancer
18 October, 2005Patients suffering from oral cancer have increased levels of certain bacteria in their saliva, according to research published in the Open Access journal, Journal of Translational Medicine. Six common species of bacteria were found at significantly higher levels in the saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) than in the saliva of healthy individuals. The researchers were able to use three of the six species as a diagnostic tool to predict more than 80% of oral cancer cases. These preliminary findings indicate that three species of bacteria may be incidentally or causally linked with OSCC, and if so detection of these species could be used as a simple, rapid and non-invasive saliva test to diagnose oral cancer.
Single cell research
13 October, 2005Using a water droplet 1 trillion times smaller than a litre of soda as a sort of nanoscale test tube, a University of Washington scientist is conducting chemical analysis and experimentation at unprecedented tiny scales.
A wee step forward
12 October, 2005Physicists in Singapore have created the first paper battery that generates electricity from urine.
