There were mixed reactions from the science and research sector to yesterday's budget.

It is with best wishes, an open mind and only a modicum of anxiety that we welcome the new era that swept Australia last November 24, when our collective soul dared to tear itself gently but firmly from the grasp of the elderly gentleman in the Wallabies tracksuit and hitch itself to the Kevin07 bandwagon.

Look out for the March/April issue of Australian Life Scientist, featuring our big preview of BIO2007 along with new developments in RNAi and proteomics.

In the lead up to the BIO Conference 2006, delegates are being invited to attend Bootcamp, a series of full-day workshops being held around Australia on negotiating technology deals.

Australia is the number one location to conduct pharmaceutical clinical trials according to an international benchmarking study undertaken by The Economist Intelligence Unit.

Smaller countries like Australia should implement a well-defined strategy for the development of small technologies including micro- and nanotechnology, according to small technology commercialisation expert Kees Eijkel, in Melbourne to participate in the Healthy Opportunities from Small Technologies conference this week.

Australia is home to a thriving and dynamic biotechnology industry with a firm footing in the world-class research base found in the universities and research institutions 'Down Under'.

Kate Parker helped nurture Invest Australia through its initial growth spurt 18 months ago. Now with the Commonwealth government agency growing again, restructuring and on the brink of becoming independent, Parker is leaving.

Federal government agency Invest Australia's biotechnology team will quadruple in size after undergoing a major restructure to be completed July 1 this year.