Don’t be mistaken, Nature Methods’ material sharing policy includes the requirement to make custom-developed software available upon publication. But there are several ways of making software available. We examine the various degrees of disclosure and the choice of formats and try to clarify our position. Let us know if we are heading in the right direction!
A paper by Takashi Tsuji and colleagues describing a general method to reconstitute ectodermal organs such as teeth and whiskers has met with criticism by members of the community who claim there is nothing substantively new reported. The development and transplantation of engineered teeth was previously reported but the changes described in the new report, though small, do seem to represent an important advance as attested to by others in the field.
Read the paper by Nakao et al. and some of the press coverage listed below and give us your thoughts.
The Scientist – Teeth, whiskers bioengineered
Chemistry World – Researchers sink their teeth in
The discussion topics below and some insightful comments illustrate how a commenting forum like this one can empower readers, allowing them to participate in important discussions of direct interest to their work. But readers are slow to seize this opportunity. We have taken a look at this attitude in a recent editorial.
Let us know what you think and how we can make this forum better for you.