Media Contact:
Wayne Manos
(516) 422-4009
manos@cshl.edu

Cold Spring Harbor, New York - Today, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press launched CSH Protocols, a new, online methods journal in molecular and cell biology. Bringing powerful online functions to the Press’ renowned presentation of laboratory protocols, the site offers scientists:

• A new, community-based source of trusted techniques from laboratories worldwide
• Classic and cutting edge protocols featuring the strict attention to procedure that have made Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s methods international standards
• Step-by-step, uniformly structured formats for ease of use and printing, with clearly identified materials, cautions, recipes, and troubleshooting
• Moderated, interactive Web tools enabling users to ask questions, discuss experiences, and contribute suggestions
• Customizable features such as topic-based e-mail alerts and personal folders, where favorite protocols and searches can be stored
• Robust navigation tools including a unique taxonomy for browsing and a variety of full-text search options
• A launch archive of 500 protocols that will grow to more than 900 by year-end 2006
  

The Executive Editor of the journal, Dr. Michael Ronemus, heads a distinguished editorial board of international advisors. He plans monthly releases of new protocols including contributions from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s courses and lab manuals, as well as CSH Protocols laboratories around the world. The protocols will cover a wide range of experimental biology, from genetics and immunology to bioinformatics and imaging. Ronemus emphasizes that CSH Protocols is a research journal that accepts submissions of protocols from the scientific community for peer-reviewed publication. Ronemus also notes that many features of the journal take advantage of Web technology, in particular the opportunity for scientists to join a conversation about protocols by adding their own comments, questions, and ideas. “Each published protocol is a citable contribution to the scientific literature, but, once put online, protocols will continue to evolve as users add their own observations. In this way, researchers will have access to the most up-to-date information available.”

This community aspect of the journal is a natural extension of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s long-established tradition of excellence in technical education. Dr. John Inglis, the journal’s publisher, points out that the scientific community has gathered for decades at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to discuss concepts and technologies. “Emerging methods have been explored in hands-on courses and the resulting knowledge has been conveyed to labs worldwide through carefully constructed manuals.” Inglis added, “As a not-for-profit science publisher committed to research and education, our aim is to make CSH Protocols a virtual gathering place where scientists search for and store information they can rely on, annotate it, share it with colleagues, and contribute improvements and updates for the benefit of all.” By registering for the site’s alerting services, users will keep abreast of the latest developments in their particular fields of interest.

CSH Protocols is now available via institutional site license. Free trials are currently underway enabling librarians and scientists to explore the site and experience its outstanding utility and functions. Further details can be found at www.cshprotocols.org.

In encouraging trials of the site, Dr. Inglis said, “We realize the community has a choice in online protocol resources. We believe that a comparison of our features, subject coverage, and pricing will make CSH Protocols the first choice in online methods for molecular and cell biologists.”

CSH Protocols Subject Coverage

• Antibodies
• Bioinformatics / Genomics
• Cell Biology
• Chromatography
• Computational Biology
• DNA Delivery / Gene Transfer
• Electrophoresis
• Genetics
• High-Throughput Analysis
• Imaging / Microscopy
• Immunology
• Laboratory Organisms
• Molecular Biology
• Neuroscience
• Plant Biology
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
• Proteins and Proteomics
• RNA Interference (RNAi)
• Small Interfering RNA (siRNA)
• Stem Cells
• Transgenic Technology
  
  

  About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
  Established more than a century ago, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, is a private, non profit basic research and educational institution. Its 330 scientists conduct groundbreaking research in cancer, neurobiology, plant genetics, and bioinformatics. Their studies have won numerous awards and honors, including three Nobel Prizes. The Laboratory is recognized internationally for professional training programs that bring more than 8000 scientists to its campus each year, and innovative graduate education, and outreach programs that enhance K-12 education and the public understanding of science.
  
  

  About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
  From its beginnings in 1933 as an initiative to publish an Annual Symposium in Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is now an internationally recognized science publisher. The largest of the five educational divisions of the Laboratory, with more than 200 books in print, 6 research journals, and a variety of multimedia and online resources, its publications inspire and train scientists, educate students, and explain science to the public.