The writing was on the wall for the suspension of the Commonwealth government's R&D Start program as early as January, Australian Biotechnology News has learned. [ + ]

Up to $20 million is to be spent setting up Tasmania's Bioinformatics Centre of Excellence, it was announced today. [ + ]

Deputy prime minister and avowed embryonic stem cell research opponent John Anderson has been granted a seat on the government's peak science and innovation council. [ + ]

A team of Japanese and Australian astronomers has found concrete evidence of an elusive component in cosmic rays.

Artificial heart developer MicroMedical Industries has forecast a larger full-year loss than it experienced last year, but said it was an expected outcome. [ + ]

Australians needed to know who was likely to make their fortune through stem cells in order to prioritise information from scientists who may have a vested interest in the research, the Senate has heard. [ + ]

Melbourne bioengineering company Eiffel Technologies has entered a research partnership with London-based Amarin Corporation to manufacture slow-release, sub-micron sized drugs. [ + ]

Two weeks after former Prime Minister Bob Hawke resigned from the board of Autogen, a second director has resigned, citing other business commitments. [ + ]

Meditech Research has completed Phase I clinical trials of its anti-cancer therapy HyDox, indicating the treatment is safe for patients with breast cancer, renal carcinoma, sarcoma and prostate cancer. [ + ]

Australia's peak council for science and technology has called for a 10-year plan to develop and improve the national education system. [ + ]

Ambri is looking to expand the potential applications of its critical care diagnostic system, SensiDx System, enabling surgeons to rapidly detect bowel damage that can occur during an operation. [ + ]

Device and diagnostics investment company Premier Bionics is on track to close its initial public offering tomorrow (May 17) oversubscribed. [ + ]

Strengthening its foothold in the US, ResMed has acquired the Californian manufacturing company, Servo Magnetics Inc (SMI) for about $US32 million ($58.38 million). [ + ]

Victoria's government has pledged up to $55,000 in sponsoring industry group AusBiotech's major conference in August. [ + ]

Research institutions are beating a path to the doors of the only two Australian biotechs which supply embryonic stem cells lines meeting current US regulatory requirements. [ + ]