Open access to the research literature : a funders perspective

In a declaration to commemorate the publication of the first draft of the human genome, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President Bill Clinton commented that, “unencumbered access to this information will promote discoveries that will reduce the burden of disease, improve health around the world and enhance the quality of life for all human kind” (quoted in BBC, 2000). One of the major funders of the human genome project was the Wellcome Trust , an independent charity that funds research to improve human and animal health. And, having been at the forefront of the decision to make the genome sequencing data freely available, it was perhaps inevitable that this funding body would lead the way in advocating free access to the research literature. If, as the Wellcome believes, it makes sense for scientists to have free access to raw, genomic data – to help realise the promise of this research – then it makes equal sense for scientists to be able to access the outputs (journal articles), to enable this research to be built on and developed. This chapter considers the issues around open access from the perspective of a research funder

Sphaerodactylus cochranae

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Bacteria have transient influences on marine corrosion of steel

The contribution of bacteria to the corrosion mass loss and to pitting of mild steel was observed over 2.5 years using parallel streams of unpolluted natural (biotic) and nominally sterilized (abiotic) Pacific Ocean coastal seawater. As also observed by others, in artificial laboratory exposures, corrosion mass loss within the first few days of exposure was much greater in the biotic stream. However, after only about 10 days the difference in mass losses were gradually reduced and were very similar up to about one year of exposure. Thereafter, the corrosion loss in the biotic stream again became more severe. Pitting corrosion in the biotic stream was more severe from the very first exposure throughout the 2.5 years. Corrosion in both seawater streams exhibited three distinct but transient time-dependent phases. Of these only the first and third obviously involve bacteria. Similar longer-term observations in real seawaters have not been described previously but are generally consistent with some long-term field data. The results show that longer-term corrosion behavior and possible microbial influences cannot be predicted from short-term laboratory observations, even if natural seawater is used

Ialtris

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science