AGT Biosciences (ASX: AGT) has expanded its stable of programs in diabetes and obesity research, signing a collaborative research agreement with Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research to identify molecules as potential therapeutics for type II diabetes. [ + ]

The Australian Capital Territory, home to CSIRO's Plant Industry division, looks set to join the southern mainland states and Tasmania in imposing a moratorium on the environmental release of genetically modified crops. [ + ]

Queensland University of Technology spin-off Tissue Therapies is seeking to raise AUD$3.5 million in an initial public offering of seven million shares at $0.50. [ + ]

Changes to the wording of the Australian Research Council's discovery grant eligibility criteria have left scientists at medical research institutes believing they are no longer eligible to apply for grants from the organisation. [ + ]

Amrad has received a second US$3 million milestone payment from Merck, Sharp and Dohme, bringing the total payments to the company under the terms of the agreement to $11 million to date out of a possible $112 million. [ + ]

South Australia's capabilities in biotechnology, agriculture and wine, earth and environmental sciences and chemistry and physics have received a major boost, with the appointment of four new Heads of School at the University of Adelaide's Faculty of Sciences.

The federal government has teamed up with industry group Science Industry Australia (SIA) to create a new action agenda. [ + ]

Peptech's (ASX:PTD) recent investment in UK domain antibody specialist Domantis took centre stage at the company's annual general meeting today, despite shareholder discontent regarding an employee performance share plan. [ + ]

The biotechnology industry is likely to be one of the beneficiaries of the forthcoming successor to the Backing Australia's Ability program, according to federal industry minister Ian Macfarlane. [ + ]

Shares in Biota Holdings fell more than 6 per cent yesterday, despite the company's announcement that it had reduced its operating loss by almost half, reporting a loss after tax of $3.1 million as compared to $5.5 million in 2002. [ + ]

Health officials lecture Americans every year on the importance of getting an influenza vaccine but it seems they are not even able to get a majority of their colleagues to do so. [ + ]

Researchers at the University of Western Australia have developed a novel method for detecting iron overload diseases using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). [ + ]

After announcing a $6m capital raising yesterday, Adelaide epilepsy specialist company Bionomics Limited (ASX:BNO, US OTC: BMICY) has wasted no time mounting a project to identify new drugs to treat inherited epilepsy and anxiety disorders. [ + ]

Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) has advanced its acromegaly project from research to development after seeing efficacy in animal studies for its antisense compound ATL1103, which targets the growth hormone receptor. [ + ]

The first mobile facility in the world to measure the energy efficiency of buildings and houses on-site will be launched by Deakin University