Top honours in the 2003 Australian Design Awards have been scooped by local diagnostics company NDP. [ + ]

Doomsayers repent. The assertion that the Australian biotech industry is Tech Wreck II is incorrect, according to a new study by the Australian Graduate School of Management. [ + ]

Below are excerpts from an article written by Kurt Lambeck FAA, FRS - Foreign Secretary of the Australian Academy of Science and Professor of Geophysics at the Australian National University.

The federal government is showing no signs of backing away from its Backing Australia's Ability program -- and there could be more good news to come. [ + ]

Researchers at the University of NSW looking for a protein analysis tool have accidentally come up with a drug that can halt cell growth in tumours. [ + ]

Speaking to a packed room of delegates at the Discovery Science and Biotechnology conference in Sydney last week, cloning pioneer Alan Colman described stem cell research as being in the same boat as gene therapy a decade ago. [ + ]

Melbourne company Antisense Therapeutics has won a $AUD1.1 million R&D Start grant, in the first round of funding awarded since the Federal government reopened the program late last year. [ + ]

The face of Queensland's multi-million dollar cotton industry could be about to change, thanks to pioneering work being conducted by a University of Queensland scientist.

Universities in Australia, Asia, Europe, Canada and the US are using an online laboratory to collaborate on HIV genomic research.

Woollen jumpers may soon be shrink-proof without the use of chemicals, thanks to the finding that wool shrinkage (felting) is a heritable trait that can be manipulated through selective sheep breeding. [ + ]

A $150 million incentive scheme for companies developing new drugs might prove to be the sleeper in the May budget for young drug discovery companies. [ + ]

Sydney separation technology specialist Gradipore has revised upwards its projected loss for the financial year, from $AUD12 million to up to $16 million. [ + ]

Amrad and US monoclonal antibody company Medarex have signed a licensing partnership for the R&D of fully humanised monoclonal antibodies against Amrad's asthma target interleukin-13 receptor alpha. [ + ]

"Every high school student in Australia should have the opportunity to participate in the Science and Engineering Challenge," says Associate Professor John O'Connor, Head of the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences in the Faculty of Science and Information Technology at the University of Newcastle.

US pharma Cephalon has increased its interest in delivery biotech Sirtex up to 41 per cent with the acquisition of just under 8,800,000 shares from founder Dr Bruce Gray. [ + ]