UK and European biotechs may not have heard of Australian historian Geoffrey Blainey. But Harry Karelis, of Sydney venture capitalist Biotech Capital, says both British and continental biotechs are just as conscious as Australians are of Blainey's most famous concept -- the tyranny of distance. [ + ]

Dr Andy Gearing believes wholeheartedly that big pharma and big biotech overseas should take a closer look at what the Australian biotechnology and life sciences sector has to offer. [ + ]

Australia's research institutes and industry have a mutual responsibility, says Prof John Mattick -- to work together to translate academic ideas into ideas for development and commercialisation. [ + ]

A keen fascination in the creative ideas of others and a willingness to take risks are hallmarks of Australian biotechnology entrepreneur Dr Mervyn Jacobson's outlook on life. [ + ]

The patents keep rolling in for Perth biotech-nanotech company Psivida (ASX:PSD), which has announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted its UK operating subsidiary pSiMedica another patent on biodegradable silicon implants for drug delivery. [ + ]

Start-ups are the easy bit -- it's the quality and consistency of post-natal care that determines whether young biotechnology companies will survive, according to Dr Jurgen Michaelis, the man behind the rapid rise of South Australia's biotechnology industry. [ + ]

Melbourne-based equipment manufacturer Vision Biosystems, part of the Vision Systems group (ASX:VSL), has launched its Peloris tissue processor in Australia, and plans to launch the instrument in international markets as well. [ + ]

Prana (ASX: PBT; NASDAQ: PRAN) shareholders today gave the stamp of approval to the company's AUD$28 million capital raising, voting in favour of the sale to US institutional investors of 3 million ADRs at US$5 per ADR. [ + ]

One of the most serendipitous moments in the recent history of Australian biobusiness occurred when Alison Coutts met Mark Fordree, Iain Scott learns. [ + ]

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche has begun a massive, 484-centre Phase III trial of its new drug for anaemia associated with chronic kidney disease. [ + ]

Eiffel Technologies (ASX:EIF) has established a Level 1 American Depository Receipt (ADR) program in a first step towards a possible international listing for the company. [ + ]

The merger of BresaGen's US-based cell therapy division with San Diego stem cell company Cythera looks like it will go ahead, after the two companies executed the merger agreement last week. [ + ]

Telstra has awarded a $950,000 contract to the University of Adelaide's Traffic Research Centre (TRC) Mathematical Modelling unit to develop analysis tools and techniques applicable to network infrastructure that will cater for next generation telephony, broadband data and mobile services.

Since last year's BIO, the Australian biotechnology sector has been all about growth, writes Melissa Trudinger. [ + ]

Australian biotechnology pioneer, Dr Tom Grace, has been awarded the Society for In Vitro Biology's highest honour, the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the development of invertebrate in vitro biology.