The PostDocs Forum

Having earned degrees in Auckland, London and Miami, Elizabeth Iorns has witnessed first-hand the joys and  frustrations of lab research around the world. She’s noticed that, as technology advances and research becomes more cross-disciplinary, it is increasingly difficult to get access to all the necessary equipment and expertise to conduct cutting-edge research. Some researchers are able to use their institution’s in-house core research facilities to help out, while others must often seek outside resources. And the search for outside assistance can be “a nightmare,” according to Iorns.

A breast cancer researcher at the University of Miami, Iorns recently faced the challenge of finding an outside lab to help run some immunology experiments which were critical to her work but outside her area of expertise. While running around trying to find a lab with the necessary equipment, expertise and availability, and at a reasonable price, it occurred to her that there must be a better way.

And yet, after looking, she realized there actually wasn’t a better way. So, switching her lab coat for an entrepreneur’s hat, she created one and Science Exchange was born. Her vision: To create a marketplace for scientific lab research, where those needing lab resources can hook up with those offering services and equipment.  Rather than the current cumbersome model featuring frustrating searches followed by inefficient bartering, the new model will be an efficient marketplace, enabling labs and “bootstrapping PI’s” to generate additional revenue while helping other researchers progress in their research.

Science Exchange went live mid-August, 2011. Pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response, Iorns is thrilled that over 1000 scientists have already signed-on. Reaction has been great, she reports, with positive feedback flowing in from scientists around the world. Labs from universities including Princeton, Duke, Stanford and Johns Hopkins are already actively participating. Iorns’ initial concern that the biggest obstacle would be too few providers signing-on has been surprisingly misguided. Indeed, more providers than seekers have signed-up. Their incentive? Many institutions’ core facilities are underutilized and face lots of down-time. With budget cuts, there is pressure to find external customers.

In addition to streamlining the search for outsourcing partners, Iorns expects Science Exchange to help create an efficient marketplace for scientific research. “People don’t realize there are amazing price differentials across institutions,” she explained. For example, bids for a recent request seeking microRNA analysis varied greatly from $3500 to $9000.

Some have expressed concerns about IP protection. Iorns explains that the Science Exchange platform enables and encourages negotiation between both sides regarding price, authorship and IP rights. Whatever the outcome of the negotiations, both parties must agree to legally binding terms and conditions regarding their outsourcing collaboration. As well, Iorns envisions Science Exchange enabling researchers to seek external assistance for specific procedures outside their area of expertise. Consequently, the bulk of the research would remain in-house and protected from IP theft.

With her vision for Science Exchange well underway, I asked Iorns whether she plans on returning to the lab. “I really love research…but I’m really enjoying this.” Whether or not she returns, it is apparent that she and her growing team have made lab life easier for all those continuing in their research pursuits.