A simple test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease before symptoms appear by measuring the levels of a protein in blood is being developed by researchers from the Howard Florey Institute, the University of Melbourne and the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria.

Nutrigenomics could be used to help solve the growing obesity crisis. [ + ]

Mesoblast announces strong interim results in fracture repair trial. [ + ]

CSIRO and the Kolling Institute of Medical Research at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital have discovered two new biological markers that can identify different types of aggressive brain tumours. The discovery will help neuropathologists more accurately diagnose brain tumours and better predict patient survival.

Scientists at La Trobe University have made a breakthrough by discovering signalling problems in cells may be responsible for mitochondrial diseases, a set of rare and incurable conditions affecting thousands of people worldwide.

Diagnostic microbiology could be turned on its head with the use of real-time PCR in the clinical setting. [ + ]

Biologic classification to fast-track VitroGro development. [ + ]

Accurate tuberculosis testing in children is crucial as the disease can rapidly spread from the lungs to other organs, leading to life-threatening conditions which particularly affect children. A simple blood test to analyse and identify proteins circulating in the blood of infected children could provide the answer.

Scientists collaborating at Cornell University and Weill Cornell Medical College have identified a panel of 23 protein biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid that acts as a neurochemical ‘fingerprint’, which doctors might use someday to identify patients living with Alzheimer’s disease.

A French team believes it has identified the ancestral bacterial gene pool for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. [ + ]

New course for science grads looking for hands-on experience. [ + ]

A major Australian study to better understand Alzheimer's disease has started.

Cytos Biotechnology has announced that it has entered into an exclusive global commercial licence agreement with Novartis to develop, manufacture and commercialise CYT002-NicQb, a therapeutic vaccine in phase II clinical development for the treatment of nicotine addiction.

Two new vaccines against rotavirus infection have been added to the PBS. [ + ]

UK physicist explains why X chromosomes are randomly chosen. [ + ]