The Arrayed Retroviral Expression Cloning (ARVEC) facility at the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute is pushing the data limits with 'high-content imaging' of cell phenotypes. [ + ]

The mention of E. coli O157:H7 sends a chill through the spine of every food processor. This deadly pathogen has been implicated in disease outbreaks all over the world and only a small load can cause illness. But in the latest outbreak in Germany and France, a new serotype is proving even more deadly.

When just 10% of a population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society, according to latest research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The scientists, who are members of the Social Cognitive Networks Academic Research Center (SCNARC), used computational and analytical methods to discover the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion. The finding has implications for the study and influence of societal interactions ranging from the spread of innovations to the movement of political ideals.

A combination of a new anti-cancer drug with conventional chemotherapy offers improved results for aggressive ‘triple negative’ breast cancers. [ + ]

The humble platypus packs a venom containing a veritable witche's brew of peptide toxins, some of which might give insights into new drugs. [ + ]

Multiple varients of a given gene can be made with the same genetic instructions, it just depends on how the cell ‘reads’ the DNA. Alternative versions of mRNA transcripts can be achieved mainly by altering the start and end reading of a gene and this seems to be more common than the traditionally expected alternative, splicing.

Gilead is the first company to have entered a licensing agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool in a move aimed towards increasing access in developing countries to drugs that treat HIV and Hepatitis B.

In the ten years since the human genetic code was mapped, expectations among scientists, the healthcare industry, policymakers and the public have remained high concerning the promise of genomics research for improving health.

Scientists supported by Genome BC have set a new standard for studying outbreaks of infectious disease by combining advanced genomics with a detailed map of the social relationships between cases to investigate a recent outbreak of tuberculosis in a BC community.

Couples affected by carriers of genetic diseases may benefit from a new technique which helps ensure that in vitro fertilised babies are free of both the disease in question and other chromosomal abnormalities.

RNA interference technology, which is used in cell biology, has revolutionised functional research of gene products in the last ten years.

The devastation caused by the recent earthquakes in Christchurch has highlighted the need to mitigate risks in laboratory operations as GunnLab explains.

A bacterial species in the Australian Tammar wallaby gut is responsible for keeping the animal’s methane emissions relatively low.

Whole-genome analysis has been employed by Australian and overseas researchers to develop a new approach to saving the endangered Tasmanian devil. [ + ]

Self-conscious about your age? Be careful where you spit. UCLA geneticists now can use saliva to reveal how old you are.