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Open source software has broken the stranglehold of proprietary software vendors. Could the Biological Open Source initiative do the same in biotech?

Researchers from Helsinki University have found a way to fight cancer by chewing gum. The gum contains a substance which breaks down carcinogens in the mouth caused by smoking and drinking.

The European Commission wants businesses to spend more on research and development - and to help encourage that, the agency is preparing a volley of government proposals for the Autumn.

Secure Access Solutions, a spin-off from the University of Warwick, has developed a new kind of magnifying lens to help the visually impaired type their pin codes into card readers in shops. It is seeking licensees and investors.

With global revenues of $110 billion last year, and an aging population, the nascent "neurotechnology" market appears poised for huge growth.

Last week's Innovate2006 conference in Zaragoza included a pre-conference tour of the region with an interesting visit of Endesa and one of the largest Spanish windmill farms, located just a few miles north off Zaragoza.

Nanomedicine can be more than a case of adding a trendy label to traditional approaches to pharmaceuticals.

Yet another consultation is under way into the safety of nanotechnology. This time you have an opportunity to give your views on "the use of nanotechnologies in relation to food".

Intellectual property battles are not always settled in the marketplace. Epic, life-and-death struggles often take place in the judicial arena.

A cross-continent project to develop fusion as an energy source has moved once step closer to reality with the signing of a formal agreement.

On 8 June the European Commission starts the evaluation of the biofuels technological platform it will support in 2007 - 2013. But the choice will be mired in political treacle.

Manchester Metropolitan University has recruited academic and industrial partners to a £5 million programme that will assess the problems confronting the global airline industry and help to develop solutions.

The European Union was trumped last week when France announced plans to boost the country's biofuel use to 10 per cent by 2015.

Scottish Health Innovations has signed a licensing agreement with ExtraMed Ltd giving the company the right to develop and market an endoscopy reporting system developed at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Without access to easy to use analysis tools, patents are becoming an expensive hindrance to many small companies, says Mick McLean, Head of Economics and Public Policy at Scientific Generics.