Minimising the spread of Hendra virus
01 April, 2009
Groundbreaking CSIRO research into how the deadly Hendra virus spreads promises to save the lives of both horses and humans in the future.
Guidelines to help detect and study counterfeit medicines
23 March, 2009
A significant proportion of drugs consumed in the developing world are of poor quality, many of which are counterfeit, according to a group of international experts who have published guidelines to help detect these questionable drugs.
Lab-on-a-chip identifies how cancer cells detach
20 March, 2009
Johns Hopkins engineers have invented a lab-on-a-chip that could be used to help discern how cancer cells detach from neighbouring tissue and spread throughout the body.
A machine to accurately control chromosomal separation
12 March, 2009
University of Washington researchers are helping to understand a nanoscale machine that can separate chromosomes before cell division and could provide insight into chromosomal diseases, like Down Syndrome.
Creating controlled 3D microtissues
11 March, 2009
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory can control how cells connect and assemble into three-dimensional, multicellular microtissues.
Universal influenza virus vaccine becoming a reality
03 March, 2009
The Holy Grail of influenza vaccinology — the development of a durable and cross-protective universal influenza virus vaccine — may be within grasp.
Alloys between incompatible elements
27 February, 2009
Pressure has been used to make what was previously impossible possible — an alloy between two incompatible elements.
First draft of Neandertal genome unveiled
19 February, 2009
A rough draft of the Neandertal genome has been completed by scientisis at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
Metabolomic profiles predict prostate cancer
12 February, 2009
Analysis of the metabolite levels in human tumours has lead to the identification of a new biological marker present in the urine of patients with prostate cancer that indicates whether the cancer is progressing and spreading.
Challenging the infidelity 'myth'
12 February, 2009
An examination of the Y chromosome of more than 1600 unrelated men with 40 different surnames has lead researchers to question the 'one-in-ten children are the result of infidelity' urban myth.
New class of non-protein coding genes
04 February, 2009
Researchers have uncovered a vast new class of previously unrecognised mammalian genes that do not encode proteins, but instead function as long RNA molecules, and seem to play critical roles in both health and disease, including cancer, immune signalling and stem cell biology.
NSW and Victoria make stem-cell research breakthrough
02 February, 2009
Understanding Type 1 Diabetes and infertility is a step closer now NSW and Victorian researchers have developed Australia’s first human-induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell line.
Dangerous DNA can cause cell suicide
16 January, 2009
The discovery that some cells sacrifice themselves if they are infected with a virus will help improve understanding of how cells normally combat viral infection, and may also be relevant for the disease lupus, where the immune system attacks normal cellular proteins.
Differentiating normal and cancer stem cells
07 January, 2009
Canadian researchers have demonstrated the difference between normal stem cells and cancer stem cells in humans. It is anticipated that this research will help scientists target cancer cells and leave healthy cells untouched during cancer treatment.
Stem cell therapy used to reverse brain birth defects
06 January, 2009
Brain birth defects in animal models have been reversed using mouse embryonic neural stem cells by scientists at the Hebrew University.
