Towards a bio-economy: Australia at BIO 2008

Australian biotech is heading to the BIO 2008 convention next month and so is ALS. The May/June issue contains our massive annual preview of BIO, including:

• State of the nation: our biannual look at how the sector is faring, with expert commentary from Lyndal Thorburn and Kelvin Hopper from Innovation Dynamics

• GM moratorium: a look at the contentious lifting of two GM moratoria in Victoria and NSW, and how it has split the general public and the scientific community

• Profiles of new and news-making biotechs, including Biosol and Starpharma from Victoria, Fermiscan from NSW; Farmacule from Queensland; Selborne from Tasmania and WA's Epichem, which is working on the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative

• Exhibitors at the QCTN Pavilion (booth 4448) and the Australian Pavilion (booth 4534)

The sheep genome is being sequenced, so Graeme O'Neill talks to some of the Australian and New Zealand researchers involved (while managing to avoid bad jokes), while Kate McDonald finds out from Bernie Tuch about his bold plans to have human embryonic stem cells in clinical trials to treat type 1 diabetes by 2012.

And we have a hobbit update, with Graeme O'Neill talking to an Australian anthropology PhD about her cladistic study of Homo Floresiensis and finding out exactly what the evidence is behind the claims of endemic cretinism that caused all the fuss recently.

We also take a look at the Australian Society for Microbiology's conference in July, concentrating on the malaria menace. Fiona Wylie talks to Professor Alan Cowman from WEHI about his two-pronged approach to Plasmodium falciparum, and how Dee Carter and Robert Moore found a close relative at the bottom of Sydney Harbour.

We also look at developments in RNAi, including a microRNA catalogue for the humble chook, developed by CSIRO's Mark Tizard and co; how to prevent transgene escape from GM crops using RNAi; and some totally Accellent siRNAs.

Proteomics is on the menu as well, with a feature on the upcoming AOHUPO/PRICIPS proteomics and protein science meeting. Kate McDonald talks with Ben Herbert, who has come along way from testing fat in sausages to a world leader in proteomics technology; and we profile the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, which aims to solve the structure of membrane proteins.

Intellectual property and the rise of patent trolls make an appearance, and as always, ALS features all of the latest products and methods on the market in Lab News, and local and international conference dates in Events.

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