Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology Publishes First Five Replication Studies Conducted By Science Exchange

Newswise — PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Exchange, the leading marketplace for scientific research, is excited to announce that the first five replication studies from the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology (RP:CB) have been published in eLife today. Despite intense scrutiny around reproducibility in science, this project represents the first practical evaluation of reproducibility rates that may identify specific methods that result in reproducible studies. Unlike other assessments of reproducibility, the results of this project are openly accessible.

The RP:CB is a collaboration between Science Exchange and the Center for Open Science (COS) to independently replicate key experiments from high-impact published cancer biology studies. The first five studies were conducted by experts from the Science Exchange network of scientific service providers. The Science Exchange's concierge team of scientists managed each project to optimize efficiency and quality.

The project will generate an open replication dataset that can reveal the rate of reproducibility in cancer biology and factors associated with the reproducibility of experimental results. This new approach represents a significant breakthrough in practical methods to validate scientific results.

Using the Science Exchange marketplace, the investigators chose from more than 3000 qualified scientific service providers to rapidly access the appropriate expertise needed to replicate the experiments. The published results are available from eLife in the special collection available at https://elifesciences.org/collections/reproducibility-project-cancer-biology.

"The publication of the first five studies from the RP:CB is a significant milestone for the project," said Dr. Elizabeth Iorns, CEO of Science Exchange. "Science Exchange provides efficient access to the world-class scientific expertise required to conduct these studies via our unique marketplace, and we are proud to facilitate this landmark project."

The project was initiated in response to multiple reports published from the pharmaceutical industry indicating that more than 70% of published findings could not be reproduced. This rate of irreproducibility makes it difficult to determine which scientific findings are best suited for development of novel therapeutics.

Learn more about this project by downloading a list of frequently asked questions.

About Science Exchange:

Science Exchange is the world's leading marketplace for scientific research services. The company provides secure access to a network of over 3000 screened and verified contract research organizations (CROs), academic labs, and government facilities that are available to conduct experiments on the behalf of scientists. The Science Exchange platform has been used by scientists from over 2,500 different companies and organizations, solving one of the most significant challenges facing the highly-trained researchers at these companies: time and resources spent identifying and managing outsourced research projects. To date, Science Exchange has raised over $30 million from Maverick Capital Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Index Ventures, OATV, the YC Continuity Fund, and others. For more information visit www.scienceexchange.com.

Media Contact: Keith Osiewicz 971-264-2510 [email protected]