INTERVIEW: A Graves future for the marsupial genome
27 November, 2002 by Graeme O'NeillThe world now has detailed gene catalogues, maps and DNA sequences for two distantly related eutherian mammals: the mouse, Mus musculus, a rodent, and a large-brained African primate, Homo sapiens. Where to now? Prof Jenny Graves believes that, to achieve the maximum yield about the deep genetic history of the world's mammals, it should be a marsupial -- specifically, a kangaroo.
Laws of uncertainty
19 November, 2002 by David BinningWhile scientific discovery is often regarded as absolute, the rules of law seem much more fluid, governed by a mish-mash of regulations and precedents across myriad jurisdictions ensuring that even success in gaining patents or defending intellectual property in court is no long-term guarantee in biotech.
Bio21 ramps up
18 November, 2002 by Melissa TrudingerMelbourne's Bio21 project looks to be back on track with a restructured board, a newly approved business plan and orders in for some key new equipment.
INTERVIEW: Seven days in July
14 November, 2002 by Graeme O'NeillNext year, 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of an epochal moment in human history: Watson and Crick's solving of the double-helix structure of the DNA molecule. It's also the year that will bring many of the biggest names in world genetics to Melbourne for the 19th International Genetics Congress, among them at least three Nobel laureates, including James Watson, co-discoverer of the immortal coil, and an immortal of modern science in his own lifetime.
Biotech looks for bipolar genes
12 November, 2002 by Graeme O'NeillGeneticists have nothing to show after more than a decade hunting for genes involved in bipolar disorder, or manic depression -- even in depression-haunted families in Iceland, and among Pennsylvania's Amish, the quarry has remained elusive. But a Sydney research team believes it may have cornered a gene that causes susceptibility to manic depression that could provide the long-sought entry point into the biochemical maze underlying the disorder.
Guiding the rudder of bio-IT research
11 November, 2002 by Melissa TrudingerResearchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and the University of Melbourne are working on a project they hope will result in clear experimental guidelines and methods for mathematical analysis for microarrays.
Benitec aims to boost investor confidence
11 November, 2002 by Pete YoungGene silencing company Benitec is treating its de-listing by the Australian Stock Exchange as an administrative hiccup but the incident comes at an awkward time for the young biotech.
Desperately seeking storage
06 November, 2002 by Pete YoungAt a Sydney conference last month, Kerri Hartland, the executive general manager of Commonwealth government agency Biotechnology Australia, revealed the results of a poll which asked Australian biotechs what they thought were their biggest challenges.
Proteomics feature: The new biodiversity
04 November, 2002 by Graeme O'NeillWhat began as a trickle of new genes in the late 1970s has become a flood, as genomics projects deliver new genetic maps, huge catalogues of genes, and a ticker-tape blizzard of DNA sequences almost every other week.
Fed grants back European links
04 November, 2002 by Melissa TrudingerThirty Australian scientists will be going to Europe to undertake collaborative research, courtesy of the Federal government.
Solving genomics database problem could save years of research
01 November, 2002 by Pete YoungSolutions to the Tower of Babel annotation problem that haunts genomics databases are showing they can shave "several years" off the drug discovery process according to a leading US bioinformatics worker.
IBM makes bio-IT research agreement with IMB
31 October, 2002 by Pete YoungIBM has forged a multimillion dollar research pact with the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) which promises a great leap forward for Australia's bioinformatics sector.
Microarrays and sequencers: Moving forward, in sequencers
31 October, 2002 by Melissa TrudingerWhen you think of the Human Genome Project, images of banks of sequencing machines pumping out millions of base pairs of information comes to mind. According to Dr John Barlow, Melbourne divisional manager of the Australian Genome Research Facility, state-of-the-art sequencing is still largely electrophoresis-based. However, sequencers have come a long way since the days of pouring your own sequencing gel and using radioactive dideoxynucleotides.
Bright and brilliant: future funding for Victorian science
31 October, 2002 by Melissa Trudinger'Victorians: Bright Ideas, Brilliant Future' -- a new innovation statement from the Victorian government announcing $310 million in new funding for science, technology and research initiatives -- was today launched by State Premier Steve Bracks and Innovation Minister John Brumby.
Don't fall behind in bio-IT, observers warn
29 October, 2002 by Iain ScottA Sydney briefing last week on the global bioinformatics market was told that Australia must boost its record on science spending or risk falling behind the so-called 'Asian tiger' economies of its neighbours.
