Yesterday we published a really nice Exchange Protocol entitled A highly-sensitive and rapid Surface Plasmon Resonance immunoassay procedure based on the covalent-orientated immobilization of antibodies. It is a variation on a recent Nature Protocol (Multisubstrate-compatible ELISA procedures for rapid and high-sensitivity immunoassays), where detection is via SPR rather than ELISA. And it is pleasing to me that we were able to accomodate both methods by using both Nature Protocols and the Protocol Exchange.

The Protocol Exchange is an open-access resource where scientists can share their protocols, and browse those that others have added. Exchange Protocols are accessed from a Browse page (which also includes entries from Nature Protocols), and can be either Community or Supplier Contributed.

A full list of Community Contributed protocols

A full list of Supplier Contributed protocols

My five favourite Exchange Protocols

Protocols on the Protocol Exchange are not peer-reviewed or edited, therefore the protocols highlighted are ones that are nice examples of using our format (i.e. ones that I happen to somehow please me!). If there are ones that you think should be included on this Top-Five list, then please let us know which are your favourites!

♫ Neural Stem Cell Culture: Neurosphere generation, microscopical analysis and cryopreservation

♫ Seeing is believing: in vivo functional real-time imaging of transplanted islets using positron emission tomography

♫ Development of QSAR models using C-QSAR program: a regression program that has dual databases of over 21,000 QSAR models

♫ Probing RNA structure genome-wide using high throughput sequencing

♫ A method for labeling polyacrylamide gels

Exchange Protocols that have interesting comments

One of the really nice features of both Nature Protocols and the Protocol Exchange is that it is possible to comment on protocols. While this resource is under-utilised, there are a few protocols that have very interesting discussions associated with them, and I have highlighted these below.

☺ Production of neuron-preferential lentiviral vectors

☺ High-throughput cloning and expression in Lactococcus lactis

☺ Calcium flux: Indo-1 loading and sample staining procedure for simultaneous measurement of intracellular Ca2+

☺ Assessment of cry1Ab transgene cassette in commercial Bt corn MON810: gene, event, construct and GMO specific concurrent characterization

A complete list of Exchange Protocols with comments can be found here.

http://www.delicious.com/BronwenAnn/exchange-comments

Labgroups that have contributed loads of protocols.

It would be really great if research laboratories used the Protocol Exchange as a way to archive and share their methods within their group, with collaborators and with the wider community.

This has not really happened yet, but there are a few people who have uploaded collections of protocols either all relating to a single research paper or, in the case of Wei Zou, to a PhD thesis.

▲ Yokoyama Lab (RIKEN BRC), Nagata Lab

(a series of protocols relating to a Nature Structural and Molecular Biology paper)

▲ Wolf Frommer lab (a series of protocols relating to a Nature paper)

▲ Jeak Ling DING’s lab (a series of protocols relating to a Nature Immunology paper)

▲ Ben Davis Lab (a series of protocols – including a Nature Protocol – relating to a Nature paper).

Labgroups that have pretty logos

When you create a labgroup, you can add an image, or logo, to go with it. There are a few really pretty ones which I have listed below.

Ren Lab, Oregon Health & Science University

Cognitive Ethology Lab, German Primate Center

Semyanov Lab, RIKEN Brain Science Institute

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I recently started a story on this which will contrinue to be updated.