Japanese instruments specialist Shimadzu Scientific and the US arm of Australia's Proteome Systems will tighten their US collaboration, announcing today that they have agreed to team up on the application support of their jointly-developed proteomics products, Xcise and Chip. [ + ]

China has the potential to be a lucrative market for biotechnology, with opportunities in biopharmaceuticals, agricultural biotechnology and industrial biotechnology applications, according to speakers at this morning's BioMelbourne Network breakfast. [ + ]

In an effort to protect Australia from an outbreak of avian influenza, CSIRO Livestock Industries and the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (AB-CRC) are developing 'quickie' diagnostic tests for the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

Public sector researchers and healthcare experts are concerned that gene patents will stifle research and cause problems affecting cost and access to genetic tests, according to a new discussion paper on gene patents released by the Australian Law Reform Commission. [ + ]

A company, created after researchers in the Monash University's pharmacy faculty invented a method for delivering drugs through the skin, has secured a multimillion dollar deal to develop its drug delivery system for treating female sexual dysfunction and menopause.

Brisbane-based gene technology company Benitec (ASX:BLT) today launched the first commercial gene-silencing vectors to emerge from its global licensing agreement signed with the US-based Promega Corporation in Madison, Wisconsin, in April last year. [ + ]

Everyone's favourite nightmare -- that they will be falsely diagnosed with a terrible disease because of a mix-up in blood or tissue samples -- is the target of Brisbane-based Ai Scientific's pathology specimen processing technology, which last week received a $3.33 million R&D Start grant from the federal government. [ + ]

PsiMedica, the UK-based subsidiary of Australian nanotechnology company Psivida (ASX:PSD), has signed a materials transfer agreement with US nanotech company NanoHorizons. [ + ]

Last week's thumbs-up by the US Food and Drug Administration for Genentech's anti-angiogenesis drug Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer has widespread implications both for cancer therapy and biotechnology in general, according to industry observers. [ + ]

Adelaide company Bionomics (ASX:BNO) has progressed its international patent application covering novel angiogenesis targets into the examination stage in a number of key jurisdictions including the US, Europe and Japan. [ + ]

Virax's share price has soared after the company disclosed that French biotech company Transgene recently reported promising interim results from Phase II trials of a cancer therapeutic vaccine based on the Virax's Co-X-Gene technology. [ + ]

Artificial heart developer Ventracor (ASX:VCR) has reported that the fifth patient to be implanted with the company's VentrAssist device has died at the Alfred Hospital, about a month after receiving the implant. [ + ]

Brisbane-based Progen is riding high on the US Food and Drug Administration's approval of Genentech's anti-angiogenesis drug Avastin. [ + ]

Genetic Technologies' (ASX: GTG) increased loss, as reported in the company's half-year results last week, was in part due to changes in accounting required for the company's upcoming listing on the US Nasdaq market through the level 2 ADR program, executive chairman Dr Mervyn Jacobson said today. [ + ]

The vice-president at Deutsche Bank Global Corporate Finance in Australia has called on Australian biotech companies to seriously consider collaborations and M&A activity with other biotechs if they want to be viable. [ + ]