The Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) has developed a platform which analyses mutations in hepatitis B virus strains carried by patients with chronic disease, and then recommends treatments based on the virus resistance profile. [ + ]

The share price of Genetic Technologies (ASX:GTG) jumped 25 per cent today on heavy trading after the company announced that the judge in GTG's lawsuit against Applera had ruled largely in the company's favour during the Markman hearing, in which the court rules on the precise meanings of certain disputed technical terms within GTG's patent claims. [ + ]

Biota (ASX:BTA) has launched a share purchase plan, which could raise almost AUD$15 million for the company if fully subscribed. [ + ]

Imugene (ASX:IMU) and the University of Adelaide have set up a new company to develop and commercialise human gastrointestinal applications of the receptor mimic technology (RMT), including cholera, rotavirus, 'travellers' diarrhoea', and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. [ + ]

Swinburne University has restructured its Higher Education Division to create five new faculties, including a Faculty of Life and Social Sciences. Associate Professor Russell Crawford has been appointed the division's new dean.Under the restructure, the other faculties include a Faculty of Design; a Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies; a Faculty of Business and Enterprise; and a Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences.

Perth-based Stirling Products (ASX:STI) and Sydney's Biosignal (ASX:BOS) have both made important moves to strengthen their intellectual property positions on their key technologies. [ + ]

A senior scientist from Brisbane-based biotech company Benitec (ASX:BLT) has told a conference that there is "incredible excitement" in the biomedical research community about the human therapeutic potential of RNA interference (RNAi) gene-silencing technology. [ + ]

A new service has been established to give researchers and biotechnology companies access to drug discovery and bioinformatics tools. [ + ]

ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals (ASX: CXS) has filed patent applications for another five novel depression-associated gene targets, bringing the total number of gene targets with patent protection from the CNS project to 10. [ + ]

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) has entered into a collaborative agreement with Austrian-German drug development company Faustus to develop new anti-cancer leads from natural sources. [ + ]

Rockeby Biomed (ASX:RBY) has secured AUD$3 million from institutional and high net worth investors including current investors Queensland Investment Corporation and Thorney Holdings, which will both increase their holdings to become substantial shareholders. [ + ]

John Mattick, director of the Institute for Molecular Biosciences at the University of Queensland, has told an international RNAi conference that biology's central dogma is wrong -- at least as it applies to higher organisms. [ + ]

Tissue Therapies (ASX:TIS) has appointed Dr Stephen Mercer -- most recently managing director of Mercy Tissue Engineering -- as its new chief executive. [ + ]

The ambitions of Bone Medical (ASX:BNE) to bring the first oral version of osteoporosis drug calcitonin to the world market moved closer today, when the company announced encouraging results from a Phase I/IIa study of its lead candidate BN002. [ + ]

Brisbane-based biotech Genetic Solutions has earned a new client and an accolade at the 2004 Premier of Queensland Smart Awards. [ + ]