A DNA tag for livestock -- a joint venture development between Brisbane biotechnology company Genetic Solutions and livestock management company Allflex -- has won recognition at the 2004 Premier of Queensland Smart Awards. [ + ]

Two years ago, GroPep (ASX:GRO) was in trouble, badly burned and without a CEO after an ill-advised acquisition of Biotech Australia. Now, it looks like a different company -- profitable, and turning its attention towards its biopharmaceutical development projects after a successful turn-around in its fortunes. [ + ]

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has heard renewed calls for a national system for tracking the safety of critical implants and devices. [ + ]

A report by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) following an 18-month inquiry into genetic patents has concluded that significant patent law reforms are needed to accommodate cutting-edge genetic technology. [ + ]

The company created by the merger between BresaGen's US-based stem cell therapy business and the San Diego based company Cythera has merged again with Novocell, a Californian company commercialising encapsulated cell technology for the treatment of diabetes and other diseases. [ + ]

Biosignal (ASX:BOS) will test its anti-bacterial compounds for activity against several species of oral bacteria, in a study that could open up a previously unexplored market niche for the company in the oral health sector. [ + ]

A patent win for confocal-miscroscope company Optiscan (ASX:OIL) in Japan will increase the company’s licensing revenues for the benchtop applications of its technology in Japan by up to AUD$400,000, according to Optiscan. [ + ]

Sunshine Heart is preparing to float on the ASX, launching a AUD$15 million IPO in Australia and New Zealand last week to raise funding to support its upcoming clinical trials. [ + ]

Bone Medical (ASX: BNE) today became the latest in a steady trickle of biotech companies to list on the ASX, making its debut at AUD$0.80, a substantial gain on its placement price of $0.60. [ + ]

A giant supercolony of Argentine Ants stretching across the Greater City of Melbourne has been discovered by Ms Elissa Suhr from the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University.

Living Cell Technologies (ASX: LCT) gained 25 per cent on its issue price to close at AUD$0.25 yesterday on its first day of trading on the ASX. [ + ]

The Queensland parliament has passed legislation which allows the Queensland government to regulate the collection of native biological materials for molecular, biochemical or genetic analysis. [ + ]

Cryptome Pharmaceuticals (ASX: CRP) has been awarded an R&D START grant from the Federal government to take its first lead compound, a naturally occurring peptide with anti-coagulant properties, through pre-clinical development and into the clinic for treatment of thrombosis and related cardiovascular conditions. [ + ]

It’s a fair bet that the Therapeutic Goods Administration is currently making like a duck. Although the regulator may present a calm front to the world, below the surface it is paddling like mad, preparing for a huge shift from life as a local regulator to that of a new trans-Tasman joint agency. [ + ]

Once upon a time, biological therapies were plant extracts, tinctures and pills. Physicians also had at their disposal a variety of medical devices. But as new technologies have emerged in the last few years the boundaries between these categories have become increasingly blurred and novel therapies such as pancreatic islet transplantation, haemopoietic stem cells and cellular based vaccines have presented themselves for categorisation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, under a regime which had, perhaps, become a little outmoded. [ + ]