Hai Truong is Dec09 Submeta ONS Award Winner

Hai Truong, working under the supervision of Jean-Claude Bradley at Drexel University, is the December 2009 Submeta Open Notebook Science Challenge Award winner. He wins a cash prize from Submeta.

Hai mainly collaborated with Khalid Mirza to try to understand co-solute effects for Ugi products in benzene. See his experiments here:
http://onschallenge.wikispaces.com/list+of+experiments

This was the final Submeta ONS Award for 2008-9. We would like to thank all the sponsors - Submeta, Nature Publishing Group and Sigma-Aldrich - for making this project a reality. A summary of the results from the past year will be published shortly.

For more information see:
http://onschallenge.wikispaces.com
http://onschallenge.wikispaces.com/submetaawards08

ONS Solubility Challenge on Sigma-Aldrich tech sheet

The Open Notebook Science Solubility Challenge has made it onto the Solubility Information for Products technical sheet of Sigma-Aldrich:

Sigma-Aldrich are currently collaborating with Nature and Submeta in an Open Notebook Science Challenge. This is a project aimed at facilitating the generation of solubility information for chemicals. Please follow this link 'Open Notebook Science Challenge - Solubility' for more information on this project.

This is a great example of how synergies between academia, industry, publishers and foundations can take place quickly and in the open.

There is some other interesting information on that page - notably a table translating written descriptions of solubility terminology - like "freely soluble" - into numbers.

David Bulger is Feb09 Submeta ONS Award Winner

David Bulger, a chemistry undergraduate student working under the supervision of Robert Stewart at Oral Roberts University, is the February 2009 Submeta Open Notebook Science Challenge Award winner.

In addition to a cash prize from Submeta, he will receive a one-year subscription to Nature magazine. David is focusing on NMR techniques to measure solubility. See his experiments here:
http://onschallenge.wikispaces.com/list+of+experiments

Seven more Submeta ONS Awards will be made during 2009. Submissions from students in the US and the UK are still welcome.
For more information see:
http://onschallenge.wikispaces.com
http://onschallenge.wikispaces.com/submetaawards08

First Submeta Open Notebook Science Award Winner

Jenny Hale, a Ph.D. student with Cameron Neylon at the University of Southampton, is the first of ten recipients of the Open Notebook Science Challenge Awards for December 2008. Open to students from the US and the UK who report their solubility measurements publicly as they work, the ONS Challenge Awards consist of a cash prize from Submeta and a one-year subscription to Nature magazine. Jean-Claude Bradley, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Drexel University, manages the award.

For more information see:
http://onschallenge.wikispaces.com
http://onschallenge.wikispaces.com/submetaawards08

Nature Sponsors Open Notebook Science Challenge

I'm pleased to announce that the Nature Publishing Group will provide one year subscriptions of the Nature journal to the first three Submeta Open Notebook Science Award winners. The first award is expected to be announced December 1, 2008. The Open Notebook Science Challenge is an open call to crowdsource solubility measurements in non-aqueous solvents. Participating students from the US and the UK who meet eligibility criteria are welcome to apply for one of ten Submeta ONS Awards.

Nature News article on Data on Display

Katherine Sanderson interviewed Cameron Neylon and I during my visit at the Nature offices a few weeks ago. The interview appeared on the Sept 15, 2008 edition of Nature News:

Data on display

Two researchers explain why they're posting their experimental results online.

Risking being scooped and having patents refused, some scientists are posting their data online as they produce them. Organic chemist Jean-Claude Bradley of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and biochemist Cameron Neylon of the University of Southampton, UK, describe this 'open notebook' approach.

We were actually a little more cheerful than we appear in the photos.

SciFoo Preview Area

Timo Hannay asked me to help with establishing a Second Life presence for the upcoming SciFoo meeting August 8-10, 2008. I think that a poster area in the style of SciFoo Lives On would work well.

To kick things off, 23andMe will be presenting tomorrow June 24, 2008 at 10:00 PDT / 13:00 EDT/ 17:00 GMT on Second Nature island. Berci Mesko had already made arrangements for them to speak - and since they will be at SciFoo this is a convenient way to get things started.

Other SciFoo presenters coming soon...

The presentation area is next door to the SciFoo Lives On section: SLURL

Nature's Role in e-Science SFLO Session

Berci Mesko will be moderating a session on Nature's Role in e-Science on SciFoo Lives On (in Second Life) tomorrow Monday December 10, 2007 at 12:00 ET/17:00 GMT.

There will be 4 talks:

Matt Brown: Nature Network
Ian Mulvany: Connotea
Hillary Spencer: Nature Precedings
Helen King: Dissect Medicine

SciFoo Lives On in Second Life

After complaining that there was not enough time to cover everything at the Science Foo Camp, and after getting some very positive feedback from our chemical reaction mechanism representation in Second Life, it occurred to me that it would make sense to attempt to continue the conversation in a virtual medium.

I have previously presented a poster in Second Life and I was thoroughly impressed with how well it worked. People would walk around, look at my poster, ask me for more information and share their experience. And just like in real life, when there was a lull in the traffic, I would chat with my poster neighbor. One big difference was that I didn't have a draining and expensive trip to deal with.

Yes, I know that there is no replacement for face to face interactions during lunch and breaks. But it is surprising just how much one can get out of the experience, given the minimal effort it takes.

So I have set up an area on one of Nature's islands called SciFoo Lives On. I have put up my poster on Open Notebook Science. Clicking on the images flips to the next one in the presentation. Clicking on a side panel opens a browser to a screencast recording of my presentation. I have also included a headshot of myself - clicking on that takes you to my UsefulChem research wiki.

But Second Life allows not only images but also 3D objects. As examples, I included a molecule and an obelisk that generates an organic chemistry quiz upon clicking. Later on I'll copy the reaction mechanism that is currently on display on Drexel Island.

I invite any other SciFoo participants to put up a poster. If you have a Powerpoint presentation it is fairly easy to put it up. Just let me know if you need help. Powerpoint style panels are available for free at the Drexel Island store but you will need to be invited to Nature's island by either by a member like me or the owner Joanna Wombat (Joanna Scott in real life) to build there.

Although we can create a nice place to visit and view posters anytime, it would be very interesting to see how un-conference sessions would work. Keep in mind that Second Life now has voice in addition to chat.

I propose to moderate a session on "Tools for Open Science" at noon EDT (9:00 PDT, 16:00 GMT) on August 20, 2007 for the convenience of our European and US West coast participants. In the spirit of SciFoo, this will be a discussion, not be a presentation, although we should feel free to use pages from our posters to facilitate communication.

I will also set up a thread on the Second Life section of Nature Networks for people to propose sessions.

SciFoo Lives On slurl.

Technorati tag: scifoo

Going to Science Foo Camp

I just got an invitation to attend Science Foo Camp in August 07, a unique meeting organized by Nature, O'Reilly and Google. Based on what I heard from last year's attendees this will be an amazing opportunity to bounce ideas around.

I'd like to hear more from others who are going or who attended last year.

As before, we will be inviting around 200 people who are doing particularly interesting work in a wide range of scientific disciplines, as well as in areas of technology and culture that influence, and are influenced by, science. The aim is to encourage cross-fertilization of ideas, creating a unique opportunity to explore topics that transcend traditional boundaries. Of course, senior colleagues from Nature, O'Reilly, and Google will also be present.