MSU licenses automatic tracking software to follow ever-changing science terms

July 27, 2012 - PRLog -- E. coli. Salmonella. Listeria. Bacterial names that almost everyone recognizes and treats with respect. But what if those names were some of the more than 1,000 bacterial names that change every year?

That’s the challenge faced by many scientists – and scientific publishers – as technical terms, like the names of organisms and chemicals, change rapidly, are used interchangeably, or have little or no consistency in meaning over time, across disciplines, or in usage in other languages. Michigan State University (MSU) professor of microbiology and molecular genetics George Garrity has not only patented a web-based solution to the problem, but his spin-out company NamesforLife has also just received an exclusive license from MSU to market it.

“In some cases, scientific vocabularies can change daily, “said Garrity. “This constant change creates uncertainty about the meaning of scientific papers and other electronic resources. That uncertainty has consequences ranging from unnecessary duplication of effort and expense, to situations that could endanger public health and safety.”

The NamesforLife solution, offered in a variety of delivery options for readers, publishers, and data providers, incorporates professionally edited and self-updating information directly into scientific papers, data feeds, and other documents through the user’s computer. The first application of the technology is in the International Journal of Systematic Evolutionary Microbiology published by the Society for General Microbiology.  See the technology in use at http://ijs.sgmjournals.org/content/62/Pt_6/1221/T1.expans....

The underlying architecture is designed to identify scientific names or technical terms in a document, and then bind the names or terms permanently to the NamesforLife terminology online monitoring service. Once the binding is established using this technology, users can click on the term within their own document to obtain information about current and prior usage, along with related information.

Garrity, who along with independent publishing consultant Catherine Lyons, is a co-inventor and co-founder of NamesforLife, said the technology ensures that information about current usage can be found even when multiple terms are in parallel use.


Contact: George Garrity, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, (517) 884-5387, garrity@msu.edu; http://research.msu.edu/techtransfer/msu-licenses-automat...

NamesforLife, LLC, a Michigan based company located in the East Lansing Technology Innovation Center, received three STTR grants from the US Department of Energy through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, and awards from the Michigan Universities Commercialization Initiative, the Business Accelerator Fund, and the Michigan Emerging Technology Fund administered by the Michigan Small Business Development Center. NamesforLife is a general member of the International Digital Object Identifier Foundation and employs ISO Standard DOIs in its products. For additional information about the company please visit http://services.namesforlife.com/home.

Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges. http://www.msu.edu