We are leveraging Web-based technology to create an online community for Life Science research. Our prototype community for cardiovascular research with live bats, called eBat, consists of local researchers as well as remote collaborators. The eBat project offers scientists and students a remote-controlled microscope for conducting experiments, a message board and a chat system for scheduled
as well as spontaneous communication, and an online peer-reviewed manuscript repository. In this paper, we report our observations of the use of the eBat
infrastructure by local researchers over a period of six months. Resident researchers quickly adopted the eBat infrastructure. eBat technology has now become an indispensable part of the local research group and is used
extensively for coordination, communication, and awareness. eBat complements face-to-face interactions well and has resulted in improved communication amongst lab members. We are currently exploring the extension of eBat technology to include distant researchers in live cardiovascular research
experiments. We discuss our initial experiences with adapting the eBat infrastructure for research-at-a-distance and the lessons learned from these initial interactions
