Troubled drug developer and healthcare provider Sigma Pharmaceuticals finally put an end to months of speculation today declaring that it would recommend shareholders accept an offer from Aspen Pharmacare to buy its pharmaceuticals business for $900 million. [ + ]

Scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) have completed a study showing that cells which lead to inflammation in fat tissue may be a primary cause of insulin resistance in sufferers of diabetes. [ + ]

Melbourne biotech Patrys has appointed renowned medical academic Dr Marie Roskrow as its Chief Medical Officer and President. [ + ]

Cochlear released its full year results today reporting a 19 percent increase in net profit to $155.2 million on the back of record total revenues of $784.8 million. [ + ]

Processing large numbers of samples rapidly is going to be crucial if the vision of personalised medicine is ever going to become a reality. [ + ]

The staggering amounts of data being generated in genomics, epigenomics, proteomics and other ‘omics studies - not to mention systems biology, which attempts to knit the various ‘omics together - is presenting a titanic challenge for life science researchers. [ + ]

An important new link between what people see and the way their minds process that visual information has been discovered.

Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) have shown that programmed cell death or apoptosis, a process which has typically been assumed to prevent or slow the development of cancer, may in some instances contribute to its spreading. [ + ]

Lonza’s R&D efforts and collaboration with many clinical trials have provided Lonza with the tools and expertise to support the developments in adoptive immunotherapy, cancer therapy, genetic therapy and other cellular therapies.

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have made a discovery that has upended scientists’ understanding of programmed cell death and its role in tumour formation.

Illumina today announced the launch of its TruSeq SBS Sequencing kit that will enable high-quality paired end reads of 150 base pairs (bp), increase the output of high-quality base calls, and enhance throughput to greater than 95 Gigabases (Gb) of high-quality base pairs per run on Illumina's Genome Analyzer (GA) sequencing system. [ + ]

Researchers at the Walta and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) reported today that they have found the three key protein fragments in gluten that cause an immune response in those with coeliac disease. [ + ]

Two research groups connected with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute this week published the results of studies which highlight crucial differences between embryonic and induced pluripotent stem iPS cells. [ + ]

Over the past decade, manufacturing and process plants across the full spectrum of industry have advanced to meet the growing and evolving demands of the markets they serve. In turn, the design and function of the laboratories which support these plants have had to respond to these changes. Accordingly, the gases and gas technologies used in testing, analysis and measurement, and the associated gas equipment and supply systems have advanced in quantum leaps.

More than 2000 of the world’s leading experts on soil will converge on Brisbane next month for the 19th World Congress of Soil Science. [ + ]