Update: I’ve set up a STAP new data page where people can share their results, thoughts, etc.
The report of STAP stem cells has shaken things up.
The idea that you can easily make powerful stem cells with a simple acid treatment or other sources of cellular stress has definitely caught the attention of the world of science.
One consequence of the STAP reports in Nature last week is that there are loads of people all around the world dunking cells in acid solutions right now, right?
Think of all those poor cells….
Anyhow, we are all wondering the same thing–is it working to turn ordinary cells into powerful stem cells? Are you seeing Oct4-GFP reporters lighting up cells green if you are using such reporter cells to start with? Are other stressors turning the little guys into pluripotent stem cells?
Or is it a bust…or maybe somewhere between?
How will all these scientists trying to replicate STAP report their findings?
Some famous scientists will probably go for quick STAP reports to big name journals.
However, perhaps most will not, especially if the STAP method basically does not work. There’s not much to report in the way of a paper in that context, huh?
For these reasons I’m inviting people doing STAP validation studies to “publish” what they find right here on this blog. Heck, no page charges, no wait, and you get the word out there to a big audience nonetheless.
So if you find yourself with STAP validation results (whether encouraging or discouraging for the STAP method) and don’t quite know what to do with them, let me know and perhaps we can work it out to have you do a guest post or something like that.
A hat tip to Jeanne Loring on this.