The US Government has invested $2.5 million in an international study to determine the role of genetics in alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis) - a condition which costs $3.8 billion a year in Australia alone.

An associate professor from Virginia Tech has developed a credit card-sized gas chromatography platform that can analyse volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within seconds. [ + ]

Merck has announced that Udit Batra, the current CEO and president of Merck Millipore, will lead the combined life science business of Merck Millipore and Sigma-Aldrich once the acquisition of the latter has been successfully completed. [ + ]

Merck has announced that Udit Batra, the current CEO and president of Merck Millipore, will lead the combined life science business of Merck Millipore and Sigma-Aldrich once the acquisition of the latter has been successfully completed. [ + ]

Regenerative medicine company Avita Medical (ASX:AVH) has announced entrepreneur Adam Kelliher as its new chief executive officer.

Researchers from the University of Manchester have created a synthetic pathway for biosynthesis of the gas propane, bringing scientists one step closer to a renewable version of the fuel. [ + ]

Researchers from the Support Our Sharks (SOS) Ocean Conservation Society have launched the global database SharkBase - a citizen science project for mapping the global distribution of sharks.

The UK's Defence and Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL) has developed a new diagnostic test for the Ebola virus which is said to offer significant advantages over the current testing method. [ + ]

The Australian Academy of Science has responded to the TGA's review into the regulation of autologous stem cell therapies, calling for the closure of a loophole which apparently allows practitioners to offer experimental and potentially risky therapies to vulnerable patients. [ + ]

Research and consulting firm GlobalData has released a report comparing the competitive positions of 35 mid-cap biotechnology companies, finding an increase in combined total revenues from $24.8 billion in 2013 to $26.5 billion in 2014. [ + ]

The UK's Defence and Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL) has developed a new diagnostic test for the Ebola virus which is said to offer significant advantages over the current testing method. [ + ]

Researchers have revealed the presence of two antibodies in a subgroup of children experiencing their first episode of psychosis, affirming a longstanding recognition that autoimmune disorders play a significant role in psychiatric illness.

Regeneus (ASX:RGS) has completed the manufacture of its off-the-shelf allogeneic stem cell therapy product, Progenza, for a human trial for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). This marks the first time Progenza has been produced at scale for use in a human trial.

An international research team, led by the University of Melbourne, has sequenced the genetic code of the roundworm Toxocara canis.

Tel Aviv University researchers have developed the ability to turn smartphones into powerful hyperspectral sensors, capable of identifying the chemical components of objects from a distance. [ + ]