My scientific specialty is chronobiology (circadian rhythms and photoperiodism), with additional interests in comparative physiology, animal behavior and evolution. I am not an MD so I cannot diagnose and treat your sleep problems. As well as writing this blog, I am also the Online Discussion Expert for PLoS. This is a personal blog and opinions within it in no way reflect the policies of PLoS. You can contact me at: Coturnix@gmail.com
Category: Blogging
Posted on: November 25, 2008 2:04 PM, by Coturnix
Scienceblogs.com is...
...hosting a limited-run group blog called What's New in Life Science Research, which will cover four separate topics in biotechnology: stem cells, cloning, biodefense, and genetically modified organisms. The blog is sponsored by Invitrogen, but like the Shell-sponsored Next Generation Energy blog, the bloggers (including our own Janet Stemwedel and Mike the Mad Biologist) will have complete editorial control over the content of their posts - we will merely provide questions about each topic to guide the conversation.
Not having control over the questions is not having complete editorial control. Biotechnology is a broad term and all examples listed refer to cellcular or molecular level biotechnology. Purely coincidentally, supplies to do this type of research can be bought from Invitrogen. While, I don't deny that there might be interesting content here and there's nothing wrong with a company sponsoring people to talk about research that might help their bottom line, the idea that the company has no editorial control and no direct benefit from sponsorship doesn't hold. A better, and more honest perceived conflict of interest statement would be nice.
Of course they have a direct benefit or they would not sponsor it - that is clear and open and kinda duh. Nobody claimed otherwise. But the bloggers can do whatever they want, including directly criticizing the sponsors (as they did with Shell last time).
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Not having control over the questions is not having complete editorial control. Biotechnology is a broad term and all examples listed refer to cellcular or molecular level biotechnology. Purely coincidentally, supplies to do this type of research can be bought from Invitrogen. While, I don't deny that there might be interesting content here and there's nothing wrong with a company sponsoring people to talk about research that might help their bottom line, the idea that the company has no editorial control and no direct benefit from sponsorship doesn't hold. A better, and more honest perceived conflict of interest statement would be nice.
Posted by: bsci | November 25, 2008 9:35 PM
Of course they have a direct benefit or they would not sponsor it - that is clear and open and kinda duh. Nobody claimed otherwise. But the bloggers can do whatever they want, including directly criticizing the sponsors (as they did with Shell last time).
Posted by: Coturnix | November 25, 2008 10:31 PM