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We’re big fans of all forms of research sharing and with Open Data Day 2020 coming up on March 7th, what better way to celebrate open data sharing than with Addgene’s AAV Data Hub! We launched this pilot in 2019 as an open science platform for scientists using Addgene AAV viral preps to easily find and share useful technical data. These data focus on experimental design and usage of these tools, which aren’t always easy to find in publications, so this is a much-needed community resource. Instead of painstakingly searching for experimental details in research articles, scientists can use the AAV Data Hub to quickly find details they need for planning their next experiments using a specific AAV tool. They can search the database by certain features like serotype, promoter, or tool type and each entry contains an image along with key experimental details (e.g. titer, injection site, animal strain used). Similar to the goodwill of Addgene plasmid depositors, this growing resource of over 100 entries is driven by the dedicated community of data-contributing researchers who use AAV tools.

Flash quiz! What pops into your head when you hear the phrase “action potential?” Firing neurons are likely the first thing that comes to mind. However, ion-based communication is not just for neurons. Non-neuronal cells do this too. It's just that for non-neural cells, ion-based communication happens at a slightly slower scale. 

In 2017, Lenny Teytelman, CEO of protocols.io, organized a panel to discuss reproducibility issues in research. But he realized that it wasn’t enough to discuss the age-old problem of irreproducibility in science or even to discuss potential solutions. Despite all the talk, not much was being done to address the issue head on. It was at this pivotal moment that Teytelman realized that running interactive workshops to train researchers on tools and best practices could be an actionable way to tackle widespread irreproducibility. Luckily, there were other academics and like-minded organizations with similar ideas who were also thinking about reproducibility and shared similar desires to take action. Thanks to Teytelman’s vast network and ability to identify the right opportunities, he was able to bring together talented and motivated groups and individuals with similar ideas to actually do something about it.

Have you ever found yourself frustrated reading through a paper to find that there is insufficient information about which reagents were used? Unambiguous identification of a reagent is crucial for reproducibility because mistakes in this can lead to wasted time or retractions.

Using a catalog number for identifying a reagent can be helpful, but it lacks context unless it links to a verified description of that reagent online. Furthermore, if the link between the catalog number and reagent description is lost (e.g. a supplier is bought out by another company and catalog number changes) the original identifier loses its meaning, making it difficult or impossible for researchers to track down that resource. A more long-term solution is the use of unique persistent identifiers (PIDs), a long-lasting way to identify and reference documents, files, or physical reagents.

Scientists routinely use techniques to alter gene expression or to label specific cells, but there are too few resources to teach students how to perform these experiments in the beginning. In most classrooms, the laboratory experience is focused on classical embryology techniques such as basic observation and dissections. Students don’t usually perform more modern techniques used in genetics or molecular biology because the experiments are either not accessible or too challenging for amateur scientists. Planarians, wormy creatures commonly found in freshwater ponds, provide a good potential solution to this problem. Planarians are easy to buy, cultivate, and have interesting phenotypes to study. In addition, the Sánchez lab has made it easier to perform advanced developmental biology experiments in planarians with their recent plasmid deposit.