The appeal of Jefferson's open source model

Lata Jishnu describes in detail how an Open Source economy could be created in the Research World. The article also describes the Open Source Drug Discovery Initiative by CSIR. Excerpts from the article:

PATENTLY ABSURD

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Latha Jishnu / New Delhi May 28, 2008, 1:59 IST

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Richard Anthony Jefferson is a rare breed of scientist, perhaps, one of a kind. It's not merely because he is a skilled juggler and dancer, and an accomplished musician who plays the blues, Celtic, bluegrass and other styles on his guitar and mandolin. The American-born molecular biologist, who runs the pathbreaking Cambia, a non-profit institute in Canberra, is what I'd call a people's scientist because he has steadfastly tried to democratise the mechanisms for sharing innovations and intellectual property. That's the anti-thesis of how the global patent system works. Here, IP is milked by the big corporations for all it is worth and for increasingly longer periods now.

Full text is available at URL: http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=BO&autono=324213

Open Lab

Financial Express runs a commentary on the Indian Initiative for Open Source Drug Discovery for neglected diseases.

If you thought the adoption of open source was restricted to only software—web servers, code development, and operating systems— then think again. The open source wave could soon power drug discovery initiatives in the country. A decentralised, web-based initiative is emerging that would enable scientists from laboratories, universities, institutes, and drug Companies to work together in discovering new drugs for diseases like tuberculosis (TB), malaria, various types of cancer, AIDS, Chikungunya, Kala-azar, dengue fever, etc. Not only would drugs be made available to the public at affordable prices, there are monetary gains for the participating researchers in the form of awards and prizes.

Open source drug discovery would have independent biologists freely sharing their work through the internet.

URL: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Open-Lab/279490/0

India Takes an Open Source Approach to Drug Discovery

India Takes an Open Source Approach to Drug Discovery | Cell, Vol 133, 201-203, 18 April 2008

Cell Press covers the Indian Initiative on Open Source Drug Discovery in an Analysis article authored by Seema Singh.

The article in short summarizes the concept of Open Source Drug Discovery for neglected diseases, especially Tuberculosis.

The full-text article is available only for registered users and can be found

Here

Comment on this article on Cell Press website.