An Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics will be established to support the grains industry, the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Dr David Kemp, and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Warren Truss, have just announced.

A technique using living cells heralds the creation of artificial livers and pancreases in the near future.

An Australian firm, Novogen, has released the results of a study involving promensil.

Innovation and Information Economy Minister, Paul Lucas, has just announced a commercial research and development venture involving the University of Southern Queensland and the private sector.

Researchers at the Institute of Food Research in England are harnessing the powers of friendly bacteria and yeasts to help defend us against food poisoning, and fungal and yeast infections.

A link between a common vegetable disease and Type 1 diabetes has been identified by Australian researchers.

A screening device for cervical cancer and pre-cancer, developed by Australian company Polartechnics in collaboration with CSIRO, has entered final clinical trials for regulatory approval for use in Europe.

The National Health and Medical Research Council has a limited fund to assist Australian participation in research projects selected for funding under the European Commission's Fifth Framework program.

The additional funding means support for the Cooperative Research Centres program will increase from $143 million in 2001 to $198 million a year in 2003. Funding will increase again in 2005 to $256 million per annum.

50% of all patients with hereditary breast or ovarian cancer have mutations in a gene called BRCA1. Now the first images of the protein the gene encodes, BRCA1, are helping researchers work out how the mutations cause human disease.

The Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin, has confirmed the passage of legislation to the Research and Development Tax Concession.

CSIRO Livestock Industries and the University of Melbourne have patented a vaccine formulation against the cattle disease pinkeye.

If research involving human embryonic stem cells is to achieve its potential for creating breakthrough medical therapies, additional cell lines should be employed, according to the National Academy of Sciences.

With the human genome project well under way, researchers are keen to map the genetic information of Australia's gum tree.

The CRC Association today released 'Building on Australia's Skills' which highlights the achievements from a number of Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) in the CRC Program.