SGI introduces cool-running blade server system and scores QUT contract. [ + ]

US scientists publish first bacterial genome transplantation, changing one species to another. [ + ]

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Roche Diagnostic’s HIV-1 test for diagnostic use in the United States. The accurate Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HIV-1 test is the first fully automated HIV-1 diagnostic tool using real-time PCR technology in the US. It provides a broader range of viral load data than earlier generation tests, quantifying the amount of virus in the blood from very high to very low levels. With the test, laboratories can deliver highly accurate results faster – a decisive advantage for doctors monitoring how well a chosen therapy is working for the patient.

An ANU specialist has called for more research into the effect of the routine meningococcal vaccine on other throat and nasal infections found in the community, like tonsillitis and pneumonia.

'Bootcamp' for Brisbane researchers interested in learning more about the business of commercialisation. [ + ]

US researchers show that genes activated by the transcription factor CREB dictate which helper molecules it uses. [ + ]

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Whitehead Institute have developed a cell culture test for assessing a compound’s genetic toxicity that may prove dramatically cheaper than existing animal tests. This assay would allow genetic toxicity to be examined far earlier in the drug development process.

A rapid diagnostic test capable of detecting and identifying viruses such as dengue, yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis (JEV) has been developed that has significantly reduced the time and discomfort involved with diagnosing an infection.

Subordinate fish keep their weight down to survive the pecking order. [ + ]

Combination therapy trial for refractory hep C begins. [ + ]

The genomics revolution is helping food scientists to better predict microbial presence and possible toxin production as well as respond more rapidly should a food calamity occur, according to Professor Stanley Brul, University of Amsterdam.

Fullerenes, the nanoparticles also known as buckyballs, may be used to fight allergies. [ + ]

US researchers link defect in CHD7 gene to idiopathic scoliosis. [ + ]

Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston have reported a new and efficient strategy, using eggs alone, for creating mouse embryonic stem cells that can be transplanted without the risk of rejection because the cells are compatible with the recipient’s immune system.

After the initial infection, the Herpes simplex 1 (HSV-1) virus usually remains in the body, hiding out in nearby nerve cells where the victim’s immune defenses cannot reach it, causing no symptoms at all.