Research led by the University of Southampton, UK, provides evidence that epigenetic processes influence brain development enough to have an impact on a child's later ability to learn and their cognitive performance. [ + ]

The Australian Government's 2016 Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships round is now open, offering high-achieving Australian postgraduate students and researchers the opportunity of overseas study and research. [ + ]

The Australian Academy of Science has launched the final publication from its Australia 2050 project, which aims to get Australians talking about our long-term economic, social and environmental future. [ + ]

DuPont has announced its intention to acquire microbiome discovery company Taxon Biosciences, thus adding to its own seed and crop protection solutions for agriculture customers. [ + ]

Professor Ian Frazer and Dr Jian Zhou - the creators of the Gardasil HPV vaccine - have been named as finalists in the 2015 European Inventor Awards. [ + ]

Shimadzu's Nexera Unified Chromatography system (Nexera UC) won the Gold award at the 2015 Pittcon Editors' Awards, presented last month at the Pittsburg Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon). [ + ]

Laboratory equipment supplier LabFriend has won the Fastest Growing Startup award at the 2015 StartupSmart Awards. [ + ]

An international team of scientists has used a specially designed microscope to capture the first live images of taste taking place on a tongue. [ + ]

A new trial has revealed that the prostate cancer blood test MiCheck, developed by Australian-owned biotech company Minomic International, is more than twice as accurate as existing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening technology.

Brandon Capital Partners, the manager of the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), has announced the closing of a $200 million life science venture capital fund - Australia's largest ever life science venture fund.

Imugene has found that its lead candidate HER-Vaxx, an immunotherapy product for treatment of breast and gastric cancers, demonstrates a powerful increase in the production of cancer-fighting antibodies in preclinical animal model testing.

The United Nations has updated the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) - an internationally agreed system that aims to synchronise chemical labelling in order to optimise safety. [ + ]

Researchers from Monash University have invented tiny optical antennas which function like spotlights at the nanoscale, offering the potential to measure food safety, identify air pollutants and even quickly diagnose and treat deadly diseases. [ + ]

The University of New South Wales is inviting participation in its upcoming massive open online course (MOOC) 'Myths and Realities of Personalised Medicine: The Genetic Revolution'.

Chinese researchers have developed a lab-on-a-chip device that can quickly diagnose cryptosporidiosis - a disease of the intestinal tract caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. [ + ]