From testing fat in sausages to dissecting the proteome of the lung-infecting fungus Cryptococcus gattii - it's been quite a journey for Associate Professor Ben Herbert, one of the speakers at this week's AOHUPO/PRICPS conference in Cairns.

"Contemporary evolution" in action as commercial fisheries take the biggest and boldest.

Matt Padula is part of a team at UTS that is using de novo peptide sequencing of the proteins and enzymes in a common tick to look for candidate antigens for a potential vaccine against one of Australia's deadliest parasites.

Sydney-based cancer drug development company PacMab has lodged a prospectus for an IPO to raise AUD$5 million to commercialise its treatment for a fatal blood cancer and potentially other blood disorders, with listing of its shares on the ASX expected in December this year.

Sydney medical device company CathRx has opened its initial public offering and aims to raise AUD$14 million before listing on the ASX in late October.

The legal battle between artificial heart firms HeartWare (ASX:HTW) and Ventracor (ASX:VCR) has intensified, with HeartWare filing a strong rebuttal to patent infringement action commenced against it by Ventracor and the University of Technology, Sydney.

Sydney monoclonal antibody therapeutics developer PacMab - which this week raised AUD$700,000 in equity funding -- is in the late stages of clinical pre-testing of a humanised monoclonal antibodies that binds to an antigen expressed exclusively by multiple myeloma cells.

Molecular parasitologist Dr Sabina Belli finds relief from the stresses of a busy research career in kayaking and white-water rafting.

Sydney artificial heart company Ventracor (ASX:VCR) scooped up AUD$1.2 million in funding today, when the second round of Australian Research Council (ARC) linkage grants were announced.

Compumedics' (ASX:CMP) revenues for the 2002-2003 financial year were up 62 per cent to AUD$32 million, reflecting strong growth in the company's sleep diagnostics business.

A group based at the University of Technology, Sydney, has developed a unique method of processing coral, which may allow it to be used in orthopaedic implants.