Why would people want to share their research?

In the past, people often shared their research. The history of sharing ideas, experimental data and genetic resources such as seeds is millennia-long in agriculture. However, the current environment of protecting patent rights induces a fear of sharing. BioForge alleviates this fear by providing a protected commons, which uses rather than loses patent rights, for sharing research and ideas.

Within the protected commons, no one gives up ownership of technology. Ownership remains with the owner. What the protected commons allows to be shared is ACCESS and CAPABILITY.

One person might be sitting on the piece to a puzzle that someone else needs to solve a problem on the other side of the world. By discussing their research on BioForge these two people can help each other move forward.

The traditional boundaries between scientific fields are now becoming much less distinct. Researchers in one area, who might never have considered the application of a certain technology in their area of expertise, can stumble across new ideas by seeing the work of others who look at their research in a different light. For example, a physicist might realise that a certain molecular signalling pathway in a plant cell mimics the behaviour of a newly discovered particle of matter. Anything is possible!