The much-anticipated clinical trial of Ventracor's artificial heart has commenced, with the implantation of the device in the first patient at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on the weekend. [ + ]

Partnering with big pharma was increasingly occurring at the early stage of drug development, including pre-clinical and Phase I, a Melbourne conference was told today. [ + ]

A $54 million Cooperative Research Centre using biotech to inject fresh life into the economics of the sugar industry is due to open for business next month. [ + ]

Following aborted preclinical trials in the UK, Bresagen is to institute proceedings against pathology agency IMVS (Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science) and others involved in initial trials on potential anti-cancer compound E21R. [ + ]

Watching the grass growing is proving intensely interesting to researchers in Queensland. At a unique research facility near Townsville scientists are gaining an insight into how climate change might affect more than a quarter of Australian land.

Victoria trails Queensland among state governments which are energetically supporting bioscience and needs to fine-tune its Bio 21 initiative, according to one of the bioIT industry's most unusual executives, Michael Armitage. [ + ]

Amrad’s bulging coffers and a good prognosis have helped it forecast an overall profit for the year to June 2003, according to latest figures from the company. [ + ]

Melbourne company Virax (ASX: VHL) introduced shareholders to its strategy for partnering in a video conference with US bio-partnering specialists Clearview Projects yesterday, in a move designed to raise shareholder awareness of the partnering process and its importance to biotechnology companies. [ + ]

Reeling under a double-whammy from an allegedly fraudulent former employee and the collapse of supplier Pan Pahramaceuticals, beleaguered nutraceutical Vita Life Sciences had delisted from the ASX. [ + ]

Dendrimer nanotechnology company Starpharma has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA for Phase I clinical trials on its SPL7013 vaginal microbicide gel. [ + ]

Melbourne-based biotech EpiTan has sealed a deal with stockbroking firm Intersuisse Corporate Pty Ltd to underwrite $2,500,000 worth of shares in the company. [ + ]

ANU spin off Iliad Chemicals has gained $2million worth of research funding from life sciences VC Start-up Australia Ventures Pty. The money will be ploughed into investigation of complex molecule technology as an anti-cancer agent. [ + ]

Latest good news from the finance market comes in a report from market analysts, Bioshares. The report rates Australian biotech stocks as ‘surging ahead in the June quarter’ with an over 20 per cent rise across a basket of 43 sampled stocks. [ + ]

The world’s leading conference for computational biologists has seen a shift in emphasis and a drop in delegate numbers this year. [ + ]

Nobel Laureate James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, has withdrawn from attending the International Congress of Genetics due to a serious illness in the family. [ + ]