We have redesigned the group start page in order to make it as convenient as possible to post a new comment (or question); it is now also much easier to read through recently added content. You will now notice a twitter-like box on the group start page; below it you can easily select the subject heading of your comment.

We have now launched our Self-Archiving Repository! This project makes full-text articles available to the public, for free – the first application of its kind worldwide. Currently, there is no way for researchers to access millions of publications in their full version online. We are now changing this by enabling users to upload their published research directly to their profile pages (a system called the “green route” to Open Access). Our publication index, containing meta data for 35 million publications, will be automatically matched with the SHERPA RoMEO (http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo) data set of journal and publisher’s self-archiving agreements. As a result, authors will know which versions of their articles they can legally upload.

Since nine out of ten journals allow self-archiving, this project could give thousands of researchers immediate access to articles that are not yet freely available. Our Self-Archiving Repository does not infringe on copyrights because each profile page within ResearchGATE is legally considered the personal website of the user (and the majority of journal publishers allow articles to be openly accessible on personal homepages). Therefore, each user can upload his or her published articles in compliance with self-archiving regulations .

Our publication index makes every publication identifiable and is searchable. Since each profile is networked to the larger platform, the uploaded resources will form an enormous pool of research for our members. Of course, it’s free of charge.

In response to your feedback, we have added "Share This" and "Cite This" tools to our publication pages. Now you can easily post content from ResearchGATE to your blog or web page, as well as share publications with your colleagues on a variety of other networks.

Two independent research groups from China have recently had success cloning a mammal (mouse) from induced pluripotent Stem cells (iPS cells). These pluripotent cells (originally mouse embryonic fibroblast cells, induced to become stem cells) were implanted with an initial 'tetraploid' embryo at the four-cell stage to trigger development from stem cells into a complete fully grown mouse. While a low efficiency was obtained (1% and 3.5%) both of the groups produced live, fertile offspring genetically identical to the stem cells they originated from.

While cloning is nothing spectacular nowadays, this new method opens the door for simpler, easy methods of cloning mammals - including the potential to be used for cloning humans in countries where such cloning is legal.

The commercial availability of kits to turn cells into iPS cells also allows greater access to the source material needed for this method of cloning.

Original publications:


iPS cells produce viable mice through tetraploid complementation

Xiao-yang Zhao1,2,5, Wei Li1,2,5, Zhuo Lv1,2,5, Lei Liu1, Man Tong1,2, Tang Hai1, Jie Hao1,2, Chang-long Guo1,2, Qing-wen Ma3, Liu Wang1, Fanyi Zeng3,4 & Qi Zhou1

iPS Cells Can Support Full-Term Development of Tetraploid Blastocyst-Complemented Embryos

Lan Kang,Jianle Wang,Yu Zhang,Zhaohui Kou andShaorong Gao