Comprendia and New England Biolabs Connect Epigenetics Scientists with New Social Media Application

SAN DIEGO and IPSWICH, Mass., July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Comprendia, leading developer of web 2.0 and social media tools for the life sciences, sponsored by molecular biology reagents provider New England Biolabs, Inc. (NEB), is introducing an online resource that will support epigenetics research. Epigenetics is a quickly growing field with important implications for oncology, neurology, metabolism and disease mechanisms.  'Engaging Epigenetics Experts' (E3) is an online community that will allow epigenetics researchers to more easily connect so they can leverage their collective, interdisciplinary knowledge in a way that has not been possible before.

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E3 takes concepts that have popularized social media applications, like Facebook, to another level by utilizing research publications to connect epigenetics scientists. For example, E3 members can find a report about an interesting experiment and quickly engage with the author, saving valuable time and simplifying knowledge transfer. Traditionally, life science discussions have occurred through private email, one-on-one, local interactions, or at yearly conferences; the E3 interface facilitates these communications potentially in real time, and opens them up to the wider community through public forums.

Mary Canady, President of Comprendia said "We interviewed epigenetics researchers and learned that their most important need was more access to expertise with a technique or another discipline. E3 was designed to meet this need, using web 2.0 technologies, which allow them to interact more seamlessly than ever before."

The E3 application already contains 27,000 epigenetics publications from more than 1,000 researchers, as well as a list of experts curated from these publications. Scientists can search the publications by title, abstract, author, keyword or location, and then connect directly with authors in the E3 community. An online forum and blog will also help epigenetics researchers to connect and learn from each other. Groups and events can also be organized from within E3.

Tanya Bhatia, eMarketing Manager at New England Biolabs states "For over 35 years, NEB has been closely involved in supporting molecular biology research, and welcomes E3 as a natural next step in empowering researchers to be more productive. We also look forward to developing collaborations with E3 experts, and accelerating their research with NEB's EpiMark^™ suite of products for epigenetics."

For more information about E3, visit www.epiexperts.com.

About Comprendia, LLC

Comprendia, LLC is dedicated to the marketing and social media needs of life science companies, helping them to meet their goals through strategic and tactical marketing solutions. Comprendia Social Media Charters^™ help companies plan and execute strategies aimed at engaging and empowering scientific researchers through new media such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and web 2.0. Comprendia also serves as a life science liaison by hosting networking events, seminars, and workshops aimed at improving communication in the biotech industry.  

About New England Biolabs

Established in the mid 1970's, New England Biolabs, Inc. is the industry leader in the discovery and production of enzymes for molecular biology applications and now offers the largest selection of recombinant and native enzymes for genomic research. NEB continues to expand its product offerings into areas related to PCR, gene expression, sample preparation for next generation sequencing, cellular analysis, epigenetics and RNA analysis. Additionally, NEB is focused on strengthening alliances that enable new technologies to reach key market sectors. New England Biolabs is a privately held company, headquartered in Ipswich, MA and has extensive worldwide distribution through a network of exclusive distributors, agents and five subsidiaries located in Canada, China, Germany, Japan and the UK. For more information about New England Biolabs visit www.neb.com.

SOURCE New England Biolabs