New ways to tackle HIV

At the Sir Mark Oliphant Conference on Vaccine and Immunotherapy Technologies in Canberra on 9–10 April, Prof Stephen Kent  described how the immune system can be primed to attack the HIV virus more strongly.

Redox potential calculations and drug discovery

Using a supercomputer, reaserchers have sped up redox potential calculations for potential drugs.

The science of faster swimsuits

All sorts of scientists and research institutions were involved in the development of Speedo's record-toppling swimsuit.

Antibiotic resistance proteins identified

Scientists have identified two proteins that significantly increase the ability of disease-causing bacteria to resist some classes of antibiotics.

Australia helps to redefine the kilogram

Staff from the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Precision Optics and the National Measurement Institute have played an integral part in redefining the kilogram.

Vaccine for Ebola virus

An Ebola virus has been successfully tested in primates.

Mathematical model offers smarter way to understand how information travels In cells

Centralised database for human protein data

Scientists now have access to a centralised knowledge base for international protein data, with the launch of the Human Proteinpedia (www.humanproteinpedia.org) website this month.

Scientists discuss economics and the environment

A small audience of the general public listened to two of Australia's most prominent scientists discuss how the economic costs of trying to reach the 2050 carbon reduction targets of 60% would come at a very small cost to the wider community

Pittcon is driving on bio-diesel

Many companies release their latest products at Pittcon. This year, as part of the swing away from biotechnology and towards environmental sustainability testing, there is an abundance of bio-diesel and bio-fuel analysers hitting the market.

Qld opens tumour-cell testing facility

More effective treatments for brain cancer will be developed at a tumour-cell testing facility opened yesterday at The University of Queensland’s Queensland Brain Institute.

Biotechnology appears to be dead

Biotechnology seems to have taken a back seat this year at Pittcon, the huge annual laboratory conference and exposition held in the US.

Australians honoured for 'best research of the year'

Gene research involving scientists at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine has received high acclaim by leading scientific journals Science and Nature.

Molecular research paving the way

Physicists and engineers at Rice University have demonstrated a means of simultaneously making optical and electronic measurements of the same molecule, in a study that could lay the foundation for mass-produced single-molecule sensors.

Virtual-reality frog dissection

V-Frog, the world’s first virtual reality-based frog dissection software has been developed by Tactus Technologies, a project of the University at Buffalo Virtual Reality Laboratory. Designed for biology education, this software will allow observation and physically simulated dissection, and is supported by the Humane Society of the United States.