WikiProteins Brings Scientific Collaboration to the WikiSphere

摘要

Many of the most significant scientific discoveries in human history have been the result of partnerships-the Curies and their work on radiation; Watson, Crick, and Franklin and the structure of DNA; and countless others. Without the teamwork that existed within those brain trusts, it's easy to imagine that many important discoveries might have eluded solitary, isolated scientists for years. But the particular style of collaboration that has been practiced by scientists for centuries is starting to look old-fashioned. Scenes of white-coated researchers huddled furtively over a single microscope are a thing of the past. Collaboration in science, as in business, is going online, and a new project called WikiProteins, the first so-called WikiProfessional, is trying to find out how far technology can go to facilitate scientific discovery.