New blog aims to get scientists talking

Simon Darby

The suffering of a relative inspired a Christchurch web designer to start a blog aimed at promoting scientific talent, improving communication and increasing the speed of drug development.

The new site, www.biopeer.com, aims to get scientists talking on a wide range of subjects, including stem-cell research, avian flu, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Biopeer, launched this month, is a joint venture between Boston-based Global Seed Capital and Christchurch web design company Dot Lab.

Dot Lab founder and creative director Simon Darby says the limitations of treatment for a relative with motor neurone disease and an interest in online communities inspired him to create the blog - an online web-log diary where people write ideas and comments on anything from politics to their breakfast.

He talked to life-science, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and although he found a great deal of research taking place, the communication between organisations was limited.

"We got a strong sense that there was a willingness to share and communicate, but there just wasn't a platform to do it," Darby says.

He was also concerned that scientists in the United States and Europe dominated available research funding irrespective of talent elsewhere.

"There are people in China who are just as clever and talented and innovative as you'll find in Europe ... the same with India, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore," he says. "So we set about building a community that brings these people together."

Biopeer co-founder and online editor Eric Gerritsen says the number of drugs approved for human testing has plummeted over the past five years while money spent on development has skyrocketed.

"Part of the reason is that too much information is trapped in silos within corporations and researchers cannot connect ideas properly across the globe." Biopeer has more than 30 subject areas, with plans for more than 100, "seeded" by writers worldwide.

It's early days and Darby is cautious with his expectations, but initial concerns about researchers being reluctant to discuss their ideas online appear unfounded.

The site attracts about 200 unique visitors each day and aims for 1000 a day within a few months, he says.

File-sharing tools could soon be introduced to enable private conversations and aid the formation of commercial partnerships. Darby hopes the blog will contribute to more investment in talent, irrespective of location, and the faster development of drugs.

"It touched us personally and I think a lot of people would have somebody they know that they feel would benefit from better results in drug development."