Mexico aims to award $1bn in contracts this week to supply natural gas to its polluted capital, an undertaking fraught with hazards in one of the world's most heavily populated ciites. Winners of the

A bacterial growth factor that plays an important role in the development of tuberculosis has been discovered by a team of scientists in Wales and Russia. The research could provide new approaches

The debate about the ecological risks of genetically modified crops is likely to be fuelled by research that suggests that it may be easier for certain genes to "escape" from genetically engineered

Roche, the Swiss pharmaceuticals company, has won European Union approval to sell Xenical, the first of a new type of weight loss drugs. The clearance could help it restore its reputation after

Internatioal Business Machines will soon announce a breakthrough in microchip technology that will speed the introduction of hand held personal computers capable of linking to the internet and allow

Peter Mandelson, the new UK chief industry minister, has postponed a final decision on the proposed crackdown on new gas-fired power stations until September amid speculation that he may modify the

Computer simulations help teach people everything from how to pilot an aircraft to how to manage a company. Now Physiome Sciences, a new medical venture, has built a simulation of the human heart to

Celsis International, the UK biotechnology company, will launch what it describes as the world's first disposable hygiene test at the beginnings of next year. The pen-shaped device, which detects the