Protocols.io

Protocols.io operates as a specialized platform for the development and dissemination of reproducible scientific methods. The company was established in 2012 by co-founders Lenny Teytelman, a geneticist and computational biologist, Alexei Stoliartchouk, a computer scientist, and Irina Makkaveeva, who holds an MBA and has a background in computer science. The inspiration for the platform stemmed directly from Teytelman's postdoctoral research struggles at MIT, where he faced significant challenges in correcting a published research method. This firsthand experience fueled the creation of a centralized repository to improve the efficiency and reproducibility of scientific research.

The firm's business model targets academic institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, by providing a secure environment for internal collaboration and knowledge management. While publishing and accessing public protocols is free, revenue is generated through paid subscriptions for private use of the platform, a model akin to GitHub's. This structure ensures that intellectual property and sensitive research can be managed internally, preventing knowledge loss when personnel depart. The platform serves a global community of scientists, enabling them to create, share, modify, and discuss experimental protocols. In July 2023, Protocols.io was acquired by Springer Nature, a move intended to provide long-term stability and resources for expansion while allowing the company to operate as an independent business unit.

The core offering is a web-based platform that allows researchers to document their methods with a high level of detail. Users can clone and adapt existing protocols, track changes through versioning, and engage with the community for feedback and improvements. This functionality directly addresses the critical issue of research reproducibility by ensuring that any modifications to a method are clearly documented and accessible. Every public protocol receives a citable DOI (digital object identifier), giving researchers formal credit for their methodological work. The platform has expanded beyond its initial focus on life sciences to include support for computational methods as well. Following its acquisition, Protocols.io has continued to enhance its services, including integrating with other platforms like eLabNext and expanding peer-review options with journals such as BMC Methods and Nature Protocols.

Keywords: scientific method repository, research reproducibility, protocol sharing, life science collaboration, computational biology methods, scientific workflow management, lab protocol management, open science platform, academic research tools, biotech R&D collaboration, pharmaceutical research methods, digital lab notebook, scientific knowledge sharing, experimental design platform, collaborative research platform, method development, Springer Nature, Lenny Teytelman, research data management, scientific documentation, peer-reviewed protocols, citable methods, life sciences technology, experiment version control, scientific community platform