Articles
Opinion: It's time to accept probiotics as scientifically proven therapeutic agents
Leading immunologist Professor Ron Penny was so impressed with the potential of a proprietary probiotic, he joined the company. [ + ]
Melanoma vaccine trial raises eyebrows
A trial of a vaccine for stages II and III melanoma didn't turn out as expected, so the researchers tried it in stage IV patients, causing a few surprises. [ + ]
Polymer proves a potent mix for the old bung knee
CSIRO has come up with a new technique for repairing knee cartilage by combining chondrocytes with a biodegradable polymer. [ + ]
The agricultural holy grail
Sequencing of the cattle genome is nearly complete and will herald a revolution in breed improvement. [ + ]
Disparate populations, international collaboration
It might not involve depositing your valuables in a bank in a traditional sense, but biobanks are set to become a rich library of knowledge. [ + ]
The molecular mechanisms of ageing
How and why do we age, can we do anything about it or is our lifespan programmed from the moment of conception? [ + ]
Unlocking the potential of agricultural biotechnology
The Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) is being held in Melbourne this year, bringing with it such names as Alan Colman, Jennifer Thomson and Robert Wall. With Australia's economy still so reliant on the land, Graeme O'Neill takes a look at what our neighbours across the pond can teach us about harnessing the power of biotechnology in agriculture. [ + ]
Creative solutions alleviate cost and performance pressures
The need to save money and improve performance at the same time is providing added impetus to the development of laboratory and analysis solutions
[ + ]Secret science business
Open sharing of information is a basic principle of the scientific process, but it is well known that secrecy has become a fact of life in academic science
[ + ]Sex keeps your genome clean
When sexual species reproduce asexually, they accumulate bad mutations at an increased rate, report two Indiana University evolutionary biologists. The researchers used the model species Daphnia pulex, or water flea, for their studies
[ + ]'Before' calibrations count more than many think
Not that rigorous? Anathema though this thought may be to most pharmaceutical quality managers, it is nonetheless quite apparent to companies such as ours, which make products critical to maintaining quality in pharmaceutical and other applications
[ + ]Grain protein composition in a hurry
The protein composition of a seed contains a wealth of information about its identity. This information can have great commercial benefit, but this is only fully realised if the information is provided within a short time
[ + ]Using aromatic selectivity to facilitate difficult separations
Typical alkyl-bonded reversed phase columns (C18 and C8) do not always offer the necessary selectivity needed to separate complex mixtures. In many cases, high pH mobile phases and ion-pairing reagents may be required to obtain critical separations
[ + ]Growth opportunities for nucleic acid purification and amplification technologies
The expiry of the Polymerase Chain Reaction Patent should foster the development of a range of innovative tests and kits and lead to a reduction in the costs of PCR reagents and instrumentation
[ + ]HealthLinx and Cryptome embark on a future together
The first merger of 2006 has created new opportunities in the hot field of theranostics. Ruth Beran talks with its architects about the merged company and its future plans. [ + ]