Sydney - Tuesday - August 26: (RWE) - An Australian biotechnology company today announced an exciting new discovery which may lead to early diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes. AGT Biosciences Ltd has found that people born with a variation of the PARL gene have a much higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The importance of this variant increases significantly as people age. Australian Science Minister Peter McGauran today announced the discovery at AGT Biosciences in Geelong. "Diabetes currently affects one million people in Australia and 120 million worldwide. "This new research is a breakthrough in understanding what causes Type 2 diabetes," Mr McGauran said. "Adult onset diabetes is on the increase. This is the biggest single contributor to the disease ever found at a genetic level. "The implications of this breakthrough will mean tests for early prognosis and may eventually lead to an improved treatment for Type 2 diabetes," said Mr McGauran.