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Alloy implants that naturally dissolve after healing

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Implants that naturally dissolve after healing, eliminating the need for follow-up surgeries, are in the sights of Australian researchers working in the growing field of advanced biomaterials.

One recent study, by researchers at Flinders University, involved the development of biodegradable magnesium-based alloys with improved corrosion resistance and strength — an innovation geared towards the next generation of medical implants.

By carefully tuning alloy composition, particularly with elements such as zinc and zirconium, the researchers suggest that materials can be produced that more closely match the mechanical properties of human bone while offering enhanced durability in biological environments.

Dr Reza Hashemi. Source: Flinders University

“These new alloys not only improve mechanical performance but also enhance corrosion resistance, which is critical for implants designed to safely degrade inside the body over time,” said Dr Reza Hashemi, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering.

“By refining the microstructure of the material, we were able to control how quickly the alloy breaks down, reducing the risks associated with premature degradation or loss of structural integrity,” Hashemi added. “This balance between strength and controlled biodegradability is a key step toward safer, more reliable implant technologies.”

The findings were based on research by Master of Mechanical Engineering graduate Win Ken Look and published open access (doi.org/10.1007/s42247-026-01332-8) in Emergent Materials.

Image credit: iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia

Scientific rigour within a person-centred, biophilic setting

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Designed by HDR for Health Infrastructure in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer, NSW RNA Bioscience Alliance, Hindmarsh Construction and industry partner and operator Aurora Biosynthetics, the $96 million, 4,500 square metre RNA Research and Manufacturing Facility has opened within the Macquarie University Innovation Precinct.

Grounded within the surrounding eucalypt landscape, the RNA facility is designed to establish a calm civic entry that balances advanced manufacturing precision with warmth, shadow and a strong sense of place. Credit: HDR

Intended to translate Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) technologies into clinical-grade vaccines, therapies and diagnostics for viruses, cancers, genetic diseases and other health-related issues, the purpose-built facility — designed to support TGA approval pathways and GMP-aligned operations — includes pDNA and mRNA production suites, lipid nanoparticle encapsulation, pilot-scale fill-and-finish capability, and integrated QA/QC laboratories.

Generous daylight, clean planning and mobile laboratory infrastructure are designed to create a calm, adaptable research environment for mRNA, pDNA and LNP production. Credit: HDR

“The facility is designed to evolve alongside emerging scientific technologies, with rapid adaptability and carefully managed visibility into active spaces, maintaining the precision and containment requirements of RNA production,” HDR Project Lead Ady Chen said. “Our approach also grounds the building in its surrounding landscape, creating a humane and restorative environment that supports the wellbeing of the people who work here.”

Minimal detailing and precise signage are designed to give the pDNA upstream suite an architectural clarity that makes complex science visible. Credit: HDR

Setting out to embed scientific rigour within a person-centred, biophilic setting, the facility was conceived as a high-precision pavilion within a grove of mature gum trees. “The building’s horizontal form is articulated with slender vertical elements that reference the surrounding forest and draw natural light deep into the interior,” HDR Design Lead Alan Boswell said. “This creates a calm, grounded environment for complex RNA science, and respects the cultural and ecological character of the site.”

Rooftop plant, gantries and screened equipment are carefully organised against the sky, designed to balance servicing intensity with a disciplined architectural profile. Credit: HDR

HDR Principal of Education and Science Graeme Spencer said: “Purpose-built environments like this are critical to Australia’s ability to develop RNA-based therapeutics at speed. By bringing flexible pilot manufacturing together with collaborative research spaces, the facility strengthens sovereign capability and supports real-world health outcomes.”

Timber-lined collaboration spaces and soft internal daylight are designed to provide a humane counterpoint to the facility’s high-performance laboratory and manufacturing environments. Credit: HDR

Top image caption: Set behind a glade of eucalypts, the facade’s vertical rhythm and tonal palette is designed to allow the RNA facility to sit quietly within Country, using shadow, light and restraint to reduce its presence in the landscape. Credit: HDR

RMIT announces $30m health and care capability investment

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

RMIT University has announced it is investing $30 million in health and care capability, the majority centring on health capabilities at its Bundoora campus, which will become a precinct for education programs, research and industry partnerships.

Existing infrastructure will be upgraded with the funding, which will also be used to deliver new equipment and build on the precinct’s technology, with improvement to students’ access to simulated real-world medical environments.

Part of the investment will create a node of the RMIT Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility, the university said, which serves as a hub for advanced research and collaboration across science, health and engineering.

“Our Bundoora campus is an important connector between the University and Melbourne’s culturally diverse and rapidly expanding Northern Corridor, an area of over 620,000 residents which experiences complex health challenges and difficulty in accessing health services,” RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Alec Cameron said.

“We intend to work more closely with our partners like Northern Health to ensure we are playing a meaningful role in assisting this underserved community.” Areas for applied research in MedTech, digital health, food innovation and public health will also be supported, with additional investment planned in 2027 and 2028.

Image: Supplied

Charm EZ Protect+ System Antibiotic Residue Testing

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

The Charm EZ Protect+ System is designed to bring rapid, reliable antibiotic residue testing to the dairy industry. Built for one-step residue monitoring, it uses patented incubate-and-read technology to deliver results in as little as 30 seconds, with one- and three-minute options that speed up receiving bay operations and help reduce CO₂ emissions.

Several built-in features guard against operator error. ROSA barcode interpretation instantly identifies test type, incubation time and temperature. A new sloped optics module helps prevent pipetting mistakes, and guided protocols walk users through ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ decisions on every sample. The system also includes a range of preventative controls. An advanced lock-out function activates when controls fall out of specification.

Encoded expiration dates block the use of expired tests. Daily truck log reports are emailed automatically to QA and plant managers, and instant alerts notify them when antibiotic or aflatoxin M1 positives turn up. The system connects easily to existing LIMS, ERP and cloud databases through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or cellular, and scales up to six simultaneous tests for high-volume operations.

Partnership eyes up gene-editing approaches to vision loss

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Macquarie University’s Vision Science Group has announced a research partnership with biotechnology company CasBio Therapeutics focused on developing next-generation gene-editing therapies for glaucoma — one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide.

The partnership will build on ophthalmic research by Associate Professor Vivek Gupta, Professor Stuart Graham and colleagues at Macquarie into mechanisms that damage nerve cells connecting the retina to the brain, leading to irreversible blindness.

“We have identified several genes and proteins that play either a direct pathological role or are otherwise involved in glaucoma and other related diseases of the retina,” Gupta said. “This collaboration creates exciting new opportunities to take the findings from that research and use the expertise of CasBio Therapeutics to help translate them to retinal neuroprotection and regeneration.”

The retina also provides a unique opportunity to study neurodegeneration more generally, making it a critical model for investigating neuroprotection and disease-modifying treatments in other conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, Gupta explained.

“We believe this collaboration is especially significant because it addresses the critical need for effective treatments for glaucoma and other neurodegenerative diseases that pose a substantial burden on global health,” Gupta said.

The CRISPR Vision partnership team at Macquarie University. L–R: Dr Shahab Mirshahvaladi (Research Fellow, Macquarie University and CasBio Therapeutics), Professor Ghasem Hosseini Salekdeh (CEO, CasBio Therapeutics), Professor Stuart Graham (Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Macquarie University) and Associate Professor Vivek Gupta (Vision Sciences Group, Macquarie University). Source: Macquarie University

CasBio Therapeutics is an Australian subsidiary of a Singapore-based biotechnology company and specialises in developing novel and highly efficient CRISPR-Cas systems for gene therapy and next-generation diagnostics. CRISPR-Cas gene-editing technology is regarded as highly adaptable for clinical use as it facilitates seamless translation to potential therapeutic applications, Macquarie said.

The work of the partnership will initially focus on combining CasBio’s advanced CRISPR-Cas technology with targeted nanodelivery systems to enable precise delivery of gene-editing tools to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which are critically affected in glaucoma.

Researchers will evaluate targeted nanocarrier-based delivery of CRISPR-Cas gene-editing systems directly to RGCs in preclinical glaucoma models and assess their impact in terms of neuroprotection and disease modification to support RGC survival. Successful outcomes could pave the way for advanced gene-editing-based treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, Macquarie said.

Professor Ghasem Hosseini Salekdeh, CEO of CasBio Therapeutics and an Honorary Professor at Macquarie, said the collaboration reflects the importance of interdisciplinary partnerships in addressing complex health challenges.

“By bringing together expertise from academia and industry, this initiative provides a platform to explore how gene-editing technologies can be translated into approaches that may ultimately benefit patients,” Salekdeh said. “It is an important step towards connecting scientific discovery with real-world impact.”

Top image credit: iStock.com/Lan Zhang

MBF Bioscience SLICE high-performance light sheet microscope

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

MBF Bioscience’s SLICE Light-Sheet Microscope is engineered to expand access to high-performance 3D imaging by combining research-grade capability with a compact, cost-effective benchtop format. SLICE is designed to support a broad range of applications across neuroscience, cancer research, developmental biology, tissue engineering, core imaging facilities, and translational research in biotechnology and pharmaceutical environments.

SLICE is designed to deliver performance comparable to substantially more expensive systems, with approximately 1 µm lateral resolution and 5 µm axial resolution for imaging cells and fine neuronal processes throughout cleared tissue. The platform also offers three-wavelength imaging capability for flexible multi-channel imaging applications.

Designed to meet the practical needs of modern neuroscience and biology laboratories, SLICE is engineered to reduce the infrastructure demands often associated with advanced light-sheet imaging. Originating from the Tomer Lab at Columbia University and based on Projected Light Sheet Microscopy (Chen et al., 2024), the system received the 2025 Microscopy Today Innovation Award and is now installed at more than 30 leading research institutions across three continents.

The system is designed to support imaging of whole mouse brains, cleared organs and organoids at sub-micron resolution, while accommodating major clearing workflows, including iDISCO, CLARITY, CUBIC and BINAREE, without requiring hardware changes. Its benchtop footprint eliminates the need for a vibration isolation table, while BrightSLICE software is designed to provide an integrated environment for image acquisition, processing and visualisation without requiring separate licensing or third-party software assembly.

SLICE is engineered to be a practical, research-ready platform for laboratories seeking high-quality 3D imaging in a compact and accessible format.

Accelerating ag-tech R&D through innovative liquid handling

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Environmental microbiology company BW Fusion was originally established to remediate soils affected by gas fields and oil spills, before expanding into biofertilizer development and the agricultural sector. BW Fusion’s laboratory services have also transformed from quality control testing to R&D, and this broader remit made it increasingly difficult for the lab to manage its growing workload. This prompted the team to explore the benefits of alternative pipetting and laboratory automation solutions.

The lab initially acquired EVOLVE single channel pipettes from INTEGRA Biosciences to speed up its varied workflows, but many of these processes require repetitive transfers between different types of labware – such as microcentrifuge tubes and microplates – with different well spacings. To help ease this bottleneck and improve lab throughput, the team now uses INTEGRA’s intuitive VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipettes. Tip spacing on the VOYAGER can be easily and quickly adjusted to enable the simultaneous transfer of several samples between differing labware formats, reducing the need for many tedious and slow individual transfers.

Serial dilutions and microplate-based assays are vital parts of the lab’s workflows, and the lab uses a VOYAGER pipette mounted on an ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot to automate and standardize liquid handling steps for these tasks. This automated set-up releases staff from time-consuming manual pipetting, while guaranteeing that the task is performed exactly the same way each time. Platform complexity can be a bar to the adoption of lab automation, but the BW Fusion team found the VOYAGER and ASSIST PLUS set-up straightforward to implement, needing just half a day of training to get up to speed. This ease of use enabled the lab to quickly reap the benefits of automated processing. In addition, the VIALAB automation software used to program pipetting protocols is an intuitive, open platform that is free to use, so anyone in the lab can install it on their computer and easily build their own processes. Crucially, it is possible to simulate each pipetting program beforehand, allowing users to pre-emptively identify and correct any programming errors, reducing time and reagent wastage.

BW Fusion has also invested in a DOSE IT peristaltic pump for the rapid and efficient removal of liquid from bioreactors, as well as other key tasks where sterile and consistent dispensing is critical, such as preparing TSA plates and preparing samples for field trials. The DOSE IT, used with a foot pedal, has been extremely helpful in ensuring that all the samples sent out contain equal and consistent volumes, and that their contents remain sterile during transportation. Using the pump is also far more efficient than preparing field samples individually using a single manual serological pipet, as this is extremely time consuming and takes staff members away from other, more complex and interesting projects.

Similarly, the PIPETBOY GENIUS intelligent serological pipet controller has been invaluable for certain tasks that require the individual transfer of larger volumes – up to 100 ml – during the preparation of culture flasks, removing the need for tedious transfers of multiple smaller aliquots per flask. This has improved the lab’s throughput and efficiency, saving valuable time and human resources.

Consistency is essential in any R&D process, as it is vital that each task is performed in exactly the same way every time for repeatable results. INTEGRA’s solutions have allowed BW Fusion to build both speed and reproducibility into its workflows, enabling the team to dedicate more time to scientific discoveries that will advance the important fields of bioremediation and ag-tech.

Malvern Panalytical MicroCal PEAQ-ITC isothermal titration calorimeter for measuring binding affinity and stoichiometry

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Understanding binding affinity is central to interpreting the intermolecular interactions that drive biological processes, structural biology and structure–function relationships. It is also central to drug discovery, where accurate measurement of binding strength and specificity underpins the design of effective, targeted therapeutics.

The MicroCal PEAQ-ITC from Malvern Panalytical is engineered to be an essential tool for biological interaction analysis, delivering precise measurements of affinity and stoichiometry in a single, label-free experiment.

While many isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) systems provide basic thermodynamic data, they often are limited by sensitivity, complex workflows and data uncertainty. The PEAQ-ITC is designed to overcome these limitations through a combination of advanced hardware and intelligent software. Unmatched signal stability and lower noise compared to other systems are designed to enable accurate analysis of weak or complex interactions, even at low concentrations. Its enhanced sensitivity is designed to enable detection of interactions (eg, protein–protein, protein–small molecule and protein–nucleic acid) that many other systems simply cannot resolve.

Critically, common sources of error — such as inactive protein fractions or inaccurate ligand concentrations — can significantly distort binding data. PEAQ-ITC’s advanced analysis software is engineered to identify and correct these issues, allowing researchers to recover reliable thermodynamic parameters and improve confidence in structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies.

Ease of use is another defining feature. With PEAQ-Expert guidance tools, automated data quality assessment and rapid experiment-to-result workflows, users can generate high-quality data in under 30 minutes with low sample consumption and fully automated operation. By combining superior sensitivity and streamlined workflows, the MicroCal PEAQ-ITC is designed to deliver more accurate, reproducible data.

For more information: https://www.atascientific.com.au/products/malvern-microcal-peaq-itc/.

GeneFrontier PUREfrex cell-free protein synthesis system

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

PUREfrex from GeneFrontier is designed to be a breakthrough in cell-free protein synthesis technology, offering a precisely engineered in vitro coupled transcription/translation system. Unlike traditional S30 translation extracts, PUREfrex utilises a completely reconstituted system derived from E. coli translation machinery. By adding DNA or mRNA that encodes the target protein to the reaction solution, proteins can be synthesised easily and quickly without using living cells.

Features of the PUREfrex protein synthesis system include: protein expression in hours instead of days; highly purified components that eliminate contaminating nucleases and proteases; DNA and RNA template for integrity preservation; and maintaining optimal protein functionality.

Other features include: maximum yield of full-length target proteins; to express proteins with any tag, including polyhistadine (HIS); that PUREfrex components can be customised to meet the expression demands of a unique protein; and that PUREfrex volumes are easily scalable for protein production from µL to L quantities.

United Bioresearch Products distributes the full range of PUREfrex products in Australia.

For more information, click here.

Camfil CamSafe 3 safety housing

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Camfil CamSafe 3 Housing is a modular, high integrity safe change housing system designed to ensure maximum containment and operator safety when handling contaminated air. It is engineered for exhaust air applications in critical environments including biosafety levels L1 to L3+, pharmaceutical and chemical processing, hospitals, laboratories, and animal research facilities.

The system is highly configurable, available in single or multi module designs to suit a wide range of airflow requirements and filtration stages. It supports both particulate and molecular filtration, offering flexibility for diverse contamination control needs.

CamSafe 3 incorporates a patented clamping mechanism with a single action lever and dual safety interlock, designed to ensure correct filter positioning and consistent gasket compression. Its integrated service bag collar is engineered to enable fully contained Bag In Bag Out (BIBO) filter changes, allowing safe removal and replacement of filters without exposure to hazardous contaminants.

The housing is designed for high pressure integrity and has been rigorously tested at ±6000 Pa, meeting stringent international standards including EUROVENT 2/2 Class C, EN 1886 Class L1, ISO 10648-2 Class 3, and EN 12237 Class D.

For performance verification, CamSafe 3 supports Manual Integrity Probe scanning within the housing and optional ducted injection modules for efficient leak testing using reduced aerosol volumes. A wide range of accessories, including dampers, supports, collectors, and decontamination options, further enhances system adaptability.

CamSafe 3 is designed to deliver a robust, flexible and highly secure containment solution tailored to critical air filtration environments where safety and reliability are essential.

For more information, click here.

Irregular blood pressure patterns and dementia-associated brain changes

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Greater variability in blood pressure over a 24-hour period is associated with poorer cognition, including planning, problem solving and memory; and higher average blood pressure over 24 hours is also associated with greater evidence of vascular brain injury.

This is according to a Monash University study published in Neurology (doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214935), with findings that are significant given that — according to the university — while high blood pressure, or hypertension, has long been recognised as a risk factor for cognitive decline, the impact of changes in blood pressure throughout the day and night has been less understood.

“Our study shows that blood pressure is associated with subtle brain changes that can occur long before memory or thinking problems become apparent,” said Madeline Gibson, a PhD candidate in Clinical Neuropsychology at Monash and first author on the study. “Even a modest increase in blood pressure variability was linked to lower performance on cognitive tests, equivalent to roughly seven years of additional aging.

“Whether managing blood pressure variability could slow or reverse these brain changes is not yet known. But these findings add to growing evidence that the heart and brain are closely linked,” Gibson said. “This is especially important in midlife, which may be a key window for protecting brain health and reducing later risk of cognitive decline.”

For the study, continuous monitoring devices were used — by researchers from the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash’s School of Psychological Sciences — to track the blood pressure of 225 Australians aged between 55 and 80 for 24 hours, the study highlighting several potential mechanisms through which abnormal blood pressure contributes to dementia, including injury to the brain’s white matter tracts and altered function of the blood–brain barrier, the brain’s protective filtering system.

“The research indicates that standard blood pressure readings taken at a doctor’s clinic may not provide the full picture,” Senior Author Professor Matthew Pase said. “Most people think of blood pressure as a single number taken in a doctor’s clinic, but blood pressure is dynamic,” Pase added. “Blood pressure rises and falls across the day and night, and those fluctuations may carry important information about brain health.”

Image credit: iStock.com/miodrag ignjatovic

AusBiotech partners with Tenmile

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Designed to support Australia’s homegrown life sciences innovation, AusBiotech has announced a strategic partnership with specialist health technology investor Tenmile. Acknowledging that while there is no shortage of ambitious founders, talented researchers and Australian breakthroughs, many stall before they find the capital, the partnerships, and the pathways to market they need, the partnership is geared towards moving world-class Australian science from lab to the patients who need it most, both locally and globally.

“Partnerships are in Tenmile’s DNA and it’s an important part of our mandate to support and build the broader commercialisation ecosystem that Australian health innovation needs,” Tenmile CEO Dr Steve Burnell said. “Our collaboration with AusBiotech is built around creating more of those connections, especially around key areas like anti-microbial resistance, cancer, AI, women’s health and health equity. Together we want to make sure Australia achieves the impact it deserves as a serious player on the global life sciences stage.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Jacob Wackerhausen

Sydney's $490m commercial life sciences precinct gets first tenants

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Scientific technologies and services provider Thermo Fisher Scientific, flexible laboratory infrastructure provider SmartLabs, and flexible and hybrid workspace platform IWG (International Workplace Group) are the inaugural partners of Waterloo-based, 27,000 sqm precinct ION, which aims to position Sydney at the forefront of Australia’s next wave of biotech innovation.

External facade. Source: Kurraba Group.

External facade (front). Source: Kurraba Group.

Representing an investment of approximately $490 million, the lab-enabled space across a multi-building precinct of up to 10 levels in Waterloo is described by Australian innovation, life sciences and education real estate firm Kurraba Group as designed to address an historical lack in the Australian market of specialised, scalable lab infrastructure required to support the full lifecycle of life sciences innovation.

Internal incubator. Source: Kurraba Group.

Internal write-up space. Source: Kurraba Group.

With a vision to accelerating the development of a world-class life sciences ecosystem in Australia, ION aims to enable research, clinical translation and commercial growth within a single, integrated precinct. “This project marks the first collaboration between SmartLabs and IWG under our new strategy to expand life sciences research centres globally,” SmartLabs CEO Brian Taylor said.

Internal lobby. Source: Kurraba Group.

External terrace. Source: Kurraba Group.

“By working with Kurraba Group, we are helping to create environments where scientists and innovators can accelerate life sciences research, solve complex challenges and ultimately bring new therapies and diagnostics to market faster,” said Darren Verney, Director – Strategic Partnerships & Precincts, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia and New Zealand. With Buildcorp appointed as builder, construction is anticipated to commence in the coming months and project delivery anticipated for Q4 2028.

Top image: Internal clean rooms. Source: Kurraba Group.

How an Alzheimer's-linked protein shapes long-term memories

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

A study focused on ‘remote memory’ in mice, which refers to memories recalled days or weeks after an experience, has found that while the Alzheimer’s-linked protein tau is not required for initial learning or short-term recall, it is critical for ensuring memories remain strong over the long term.

Led by Flinders University in collaboration with researchers from Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales, the observations of the study — published open access in Nature Communications (doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73207-9) — in mice do not directly translate to human brain function or dementia; however, the researchers believe the findings offer important insights that could help guide the development of future treatments.

“Why some memories last while others fade has long puzzled scientists and our study shows that tau plays a key role in how the brain forms long-lasting memories. Without it, memories can still form in the moment, but they are weaker,” said Associate Professor Arne Ittner from Flinders’ College of Medicine and Public Health, senior author and neuroscientist.

Associate Professor Arne Ittner. Source: Flinders University

‘Engram cells’ are specialised groups of brain cells and are at the heart of this process, forming the physical trace of a memory. Only a small subset of these cells is recruited to store a given experience during learning, the researchers explain, with the study showing that tau acts during this critical encoding window, helping determine which cells are selected to store a memory.

“Our findings show that tau helps determine which cells are selected to store a memory, shaping how an experience forms a lasting memory trace,” said one of the lead authors, Renée Kosonen, a researcher at Flinders’ Neuroscience and Dementia Research. That tau helps prevent excess or ‘noise’ activity in the brain, allowing only a specific group of cells to become part of the memory trace, was an important finding, the researchers said — resulting in clearer, more stable memories.

Further, it was observed that tau undergoes phosphorylation, a subtle chemical modification, which helps coordinate the activity of engram cells. Although a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is abnormal tau phosphorylation, controlled, low-level phosphorylation, the study suggests, plays an essential role in normal brain function.

The researchers said that the study also provides insight into how, in dementia, abnormal tau disrupts memory. During learning, when disease-associated forms of tau were present in engram cells, they interfered with the formation of new memories, the researchers said, and when present later, they disrupted the brain’s ability to access existing memories.

“Knowing how tau supports the formation and recall of memory could help us better understand what goes wrong in memory loss,” Ittner said. “Future research will hopefully be able to confirm concepts developed in our study in human memory and show their implication in dementia.”

Top image credit: iStock.com/wildpixel. Stock image used is for illustrative purposes only.

Australian CDC issues update in wake of Ebola outbreak

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

On 17 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) determined an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus — a type of Ebola virus — in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda to be a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations. This was followed by a 19 May update by the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) on risk to Australia.

The Australian CDC said risk to Australia is “low”, noting that:

the outbreak is geographically concentrated in eastern DRC, but occurring in a complex epidemiological and humanitarian context;
the likelihood of casual importation is reduced by the fact that transmission most often occurs through contact with infected body fluids or items contaminated with infected body fluids; and
a multi-agency effort — including surveillance, contact tracing and deployment of personnel — is being coordinated by the WHO to respond in affected areas.

“Nobody has ever been diagnosed with Ebola disease in Australia,” the Australian CDC said in its 19 May update. “Australia has strong border health measures to screen for people who may be symptomatic with very serious communicable diseases like Ebola disease.”

To monitor the situation, the Australian CDC said it is working closely with the WHO and other Australian Government agencies and will continue to provide updates as circumstances change.

You can find the Australian CDC’s latest situation update here.

Image credit: iStock.com/koto_feja

Multiple myeloma treatment reprograms patients' own immune cells

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

A funding agreement between the Australian Government, Victorian Government and Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd (Johnson & Johnson) has allowed eligible Australians with multiple myeloma to gain access to a tailor-made treatment that uses patients’ own immune cells to fight the blood cancer.

Now, those who have exhausted other available treatments and meet certain criteria will be able to receive CARVYKTI (ciltacabtagene autoleucel) cell therapy, the CARVYKTI treatment that has begun at The Alfred and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Victoria — with access to the therapy to be expanded to other parts of the country once required arrangements are in place.

CARVYKTI is a personalised form of immunotherapy. It takes a patient’s own immune cells (T cells), re-engineers them in a laboratory and reinfuses them back into the patient so the reprogrammed cells are primed to recognise and kill cancer cells.

Johnson & Johnson points to research (doi.org/10.1111/imj.16277) that has shown half of all myeloma patients whose condition has progressed after four or more lines of currently available therapy will not survive beyond six months. According to Johnson & Johnson, this marks the first type of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy to be government-funded in Australia for people with multiple myeloma and will be provided at no cost to eligible patients.

Multiple myeloma affects plasma cells found in the bone marrow. Source: Janssen-Cilag

“Australia has one of the highest death rates from multiple myeloma in the world. This new treatment could not have come soon enough,” said Professor Andrew Spencer, Head of the Malignant Haematology, Transplantation and Cellular Therapies Service at The Alfred in Melbourne who is involved in clinical trials of CARVYKTI.

“The future of cancer treatment is personalised and targeted,” Spencer added. “This treatment is tailor-made for each patient using their own cells. It is a living therapy made to fight one specific patient’s cancer and can’t be used by any other patient.”

Johnson & Johnson said that CARVYKTI works to fight myeloma through the reprogrammed cells (known as CAR T-cells) which are targeted to identify and attach to a protein (called B-cell maturation antigen [BCMA]) located on the outside of myeloma cells. They then send chemical messengers to destroy the cancer cell. Also involved in clinical trials of CARVYKTI, and overseeing the collection of T-cells from the first patient enrolled for government-funded treatment, was Professor Simon Harrison — Director of the Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy and Haematologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.

CARVYKTI is a living therapy made to fight one specific patient’s cancer. Source: Janssen-Cilag

As Harrison explained: “even though the treatment is administered only once, the cells multiply up to 10,000 times post infusion and continue to work long afterwards”. “Each CAR T-cell product contains billions of cancer-fighting cells, and each CAR T-cell can kill up to 1000 cancer cells. It’s incredible that medical science has brought us to this point,” Harrison added.

Spencer said that this year alone approximately 200 Australians with multiple myeloma will learn that their cancer has returned or worsened after receiving four or more lines of treatment. Some, but not all, of these patients will be eligible for one-time treatment with CARVYKTI.

Top image: CAR-T cells are primed to recognise and kill cancer cells. Source: Janssen-Cilag

Australia announces $7.2m diphtheria outbreak response package

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

A serious bacterial infection that most often spreads through respiratory droplets, or direct contact with the wound, diphtheria has had its biggest outbreak since national record-keeping began, with 230 cases reported by the National Disease Surveillance System this year.

To support the Northern Territory Government and the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector’s response to the outbreak, the Australian Government has announced a $7.2 million response package.

To provide surge workforce to administer booster vaccinations and treatments, and to procure additional vaccines and antibiotics, $5.2 million has been allocated for the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre.

For the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to work with the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT, affiliates and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations in the NT and other affected states for culturally safe communications, community liaison and other on-the-ground public health supports, $2 million has been allocated.

“Vaccination is the strongest protection against diphtheria,” the federal government advised. “Diphtheria vaccines are recommended for children at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months, and 4 years of age, and adolescents at 11–13 years of age. A diphtheria vaccine booster is recommended for adults at 50 years of age. Where there is a higher risk of acquiring diphtheria, booster vaccinations are recommended every 5 years.”

Of the outbreak, around 60% of cases are in the Northern Territory, with further outbreaks in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The federal government said it will continue to monitor the outbreak and work with other states as required.

“Vaccination for diphtheria is safe and it is an incredibly effective tool against disease,” Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler said. “We have enough vaccine and we are making sure it is getting to the right communities.

“I know the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in these communities are working extremely hard to protect their most vulnerable,” Butler added. “This package will ensure those Australians that need the vaccine will get access quickly and appropriately.”

Information on diphtheria is available here, on the Australian Centre for Disease Control’s diphtheria webpage.

Image credit: iStock.com/Dr_Microbe

Improving external quality assurance (EQA) testing through automation

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

With the aim of eliminating manual processes for quality assurance testing in Australian laboratories, healthcare interoperability company X-Lab partnered with RCPAQAP (Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs) and Sonic Healthcare Australia Pathology. Implementing X-Lab’s LabgnosticEQA, the partnership was geared towards improving accuracy, efficiency and regulatory compliance across external quality assurance (EQA) testing.

As X-Lab explains, EQA — the independent mechanism by which pathology laboratories benchmark their performance against peer labs and international reference standards — is a cornerstone of patient safety and accreditation compliance, and yet for most laboratories, the EQA process has remained manual; quality assurance program (QAP) tests are typed into Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) by hand, and results are then transcribed into the EQA supplier portal.

Manual EQA creates a fundamental contradiction, X-Lab said. “Patient testing in modern laboratories is conducted electronically — yet EQA, the process designed to assess that testing, is done manually. The result is a compliance gap that places laboratories at odds with ISO 15189, the international standard for medical laboratory quality”, something which explicitly requires that QAP samples must be tested in the same, or similar, manner as patients’ samples, X-Lab added.

“Manual EQA fails to replicate the routine process it is meant to assess,” said Michelle Frazer, Director APAC at X-Lab. “Every transcription step is an opportunity for error — and an error in quality assurance has implications that extend well beyond the EQA program itself. It can mask issues that affect patient care.” LabgnosticEQA is designed to create a fully electronic workflow between EQA providers and laboratories — from order intake through to result submission — closely mirroring the electronic process used for routine patient testing.

LabgnosticEQA dashboard. Source: X-Lab [Click on image for a clearer view.]

Interfacing with each organisation’s existing systems, the system-agnostic platform is engineered to translate data into the required format and deposit it directly into the relevant platforms. A single connection from the laboratory LIS to the LabgnosticEQA network is sufficient to automate EQA programs across all laboratories and all departments within an organisation, X-Lab said.

For the partnership, X-Lab built dedicated interfaces for RCPAQAP’s MyQAP portal, Labware LIS, and Sonic’s Apollo LIS. An AI mapping tool aligned each organisation’s test and result codes to the LabgnosticEQA framework. Laboratories then selected which subscriptions to automate from a central dashboard. RCPAQAP conducted an audit of automated submissions against manually entered results, assessing both accuracy and submission timing. X-Lab reports that RCPAQAP’s audit found zero data entry errors and missed or late submissions, a reduction from 23 to 3 days in time to first-round submission, and a reduction from 9 to 3 days in average submission time.

Sonic Healthcare Australia Pathology evaluated the solution across a broader range of operational metrics, X-Lab said. These metrics included manual effort, turnaround speed, data accuracy, paper usage, cost and staff satisfaction. X-Lab said that key findings from Sonic Healthcare Australia Pathology’s evaluation were: 85% reduction in manual effort, double the programs processed in half the time, zero data errors, 400% productivity gain, no incorrect, missed or late submissions, at least two fewer sheets of paper per test, average 73% cost reduction, and measurably improved staff satisfaction.

“This implementation demonstrates what becomes possible when EQA is treated as an integral part of the laboratory’s electronic workflow rather than a manual process that sits outside it,” Frazer said. “The gains are not incremental. They represent a fundamental shift in what laboratories should expect from their quality assurance programs.”

Top image credit: iStock.com/AzmanL

AI.gov.au launches to help safe and responsible AI use

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Providing guidance, tools and resources to help Australian businesses use AI safely, the Australian Government has launched the National AI Centre.

Delivered under the National AI Plan, AI.gov.au is designed to give businesses, not-for-profits and other organisations a clear and trusted place to start when using AI.

Intended as a ‘front door for AI’, the platform is designed to help organisations:

understand where AI can add value, and risks and good practice;
plan how to use AI;
support team members through AI change and adoption;
find tools, resources and case studies to build capability.

The National AI Centre is now live, with the initial release focusing on supporting SMEs and the not-for-profit sector. You can access it at AI.gov.au.

Image credit: iStock.com/PeopleImages

AusBiotech responds to Budget 2026–27

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +1000

Life sciences industry body AusBiotech has responded to measures set out in the Australian Government’s Budget 2026–27, welcoming some measures while expressing caution about others.

In particular, moves to commence implementation of Ambitious Australia, including the establishment of the National Resilience and Science Council, were welcomed, as was increased funding through the Medical Research Future Fund.

As to areas for caution, AusBiotech said while to assist with encouraging industry investment, changes to the R&DTI cap and tax measures for startups showed promise, to ensure it encourages and not unintentionally thwarts genuine research and development (R&D), considered analysis is required of the total tax package.

Similarly, AusBiotech said changes to CGT could disincentivise investment in true innovation, with a commitment by the Australian Government to consultation with the sector on this being welcomed.

“No Budget is perfect; while some elements of this Budget take steps towards good, more analysis is required to ensure the outcomes help rather than hinder the growth of Australia’s life sciences industry,” AusBiotech CEO Rebekah Cassidy said.

“Ambitious Australia has the potential to strengthen Australia’s RD&I system and unlock greater economic resilience and societal impact from national investment in innovation, including health and medical life sciences. Fully leveraging the Medical Research Future Fund is also critical to supporting the sector’s growth and impact.

“Changes to the R&DTI need to spur investment and boost productivity, not hinder true Australian innovation. It’s critical that we get those settings right; this will require extensive industry consultation.

“More detail is needed on the consultation mechanism for changes to CGT. These changes have potential adverse implications for investment, and attracting and retaining critical specialised talent in life sciences, particularly for startups.

“We were disappointed with the changes to the Australian Economic Accelerator (AEA) and Industry Growth Program (IGP), with the AEA being discontinued and the IGP receiving further funding cuts. Both programs play an important role in supporting startups and SMEs with commercialising research, including in the medical science and research sector.”

Cassidy said AusBiotech would be convening a meeting with its members today — after reviewing the detail of the Budget — and will have more to say on this point.

Image credit: iStock.com/Duncan_Andison

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