Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body’s own immune system attacking its pancreatic islet beta cells and requires daily injections of insulin to regulate the patient’s blood glucose levels. A new method described in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Medicine uses stem cells from cord blood to re-educate a diabetic’s own T cells and consequently restart pancreatic function reducing the need for insulin. [ + ]

In the eighth year of its Mars expedition, rover Opportunity has found evidence that water once existed on Mars. [ + ]

A biochip developed by scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques will enable physicians to analyse blood on site to determine if a patient is suffering from blood poisoning within 20 minutes. [ + ]

The technique of imaging mass spectrometry is a new analytic method that allows the direct, spatially resolved measurement of a variety of analytically relevant substances and achieves spatial resolution in the micron range. [ + ]

Pharmaceutical, organic electronic and catalysis researchers will be able to speed their development processes using the latest computer modelling software developed at Georgia Tech. The computer program can study larger molecules faster than any other program in existence and is designed to improve knowledge about why certain molecules are attracted to each other and how those relationships can be ‘tuned’ to improve drug development. Rather than selling the software, the developers have decided to distribute their code free of charge as part of the open-source computer program PSI4. [ + ]

Proteomics, protein structure and function, cancer, genomics - whatever your life-science field of interest there is an international-standard conference sure to interest you in Lorne in February.

Base modifications are important to the understanding of biological processes such as gene expression, host-pathogen interactions, DNA damage and DNA repair.

Modelling has long played a key role in the drug discovery process, from isolating drug targets to screening and pharmacokinetics. Many pharmaceutical companies are currently facing patent expirations without replacement candidates in the pipeline or are struggling with high candidate attrition. Leaner pipelines results in necessary cost decreases, which can often lead to staff reductions. These struggles underscore the need for successful modelling in pharmaceutical R&D. [ + ]

The evidence that non-therapeutic use of antibiotics is contributing to antibiotic resistance in the broader community is growing and researchers are now arguing for stricter regulation of the practice in the interest of public health.

The biological and behavioural characterisation of the first rats genetically engineered to model autism have been released by Sigma Advanced Genetic Engineering (SAGE) Labs, an initiative of Sigma Life Science, in partnership with Autism Speaks. The novel rat models of autism mimic specific symptoms and pathologies of autism to provide an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the underlying biology and therapeutic targets for autism spectrum disorders. [ + ]

On Wednesday 16 November Research Australia handed out its annual awards recognising some of Australia’s most prominent voices in science, advocacy and philanthropy. [ + ]

Ten days of continuous processing by 400 of Vanderbilt’s supercomputer processors were needed to ascertain the most stable configuration of the largest human-built protein. The designed protein, containing 242 amino acids, has been synthesised and inserted into E. coli.

This is a selection of the top papers published in leading journals by Australian life science researchers thorough August and September 2011. [ + ]

In Gone Viral, Frank Bowden looks at one bug at a time, weaving around them the stories of his patients and their families, the doctors and the difficulties they face and the horrors and successes of hospitals and health care programs. [ + ]

A century ago, major scientific breakthroughs in medicine, chemistry and physics were dominated by scientists under 40, many were under 30, and their work was often theoretical rather than experimental. Now, the experimental work of older scientists is more likely to be recognised. [ + ]