Outsourcing of university science experiments has now become possible through a new online exchange that connects researchers short of resources at one institution with laboratories elsewhere with capacity to spare.
The service, Science Exchange, recently launched by a start-up based in Palo Alto, California, boasts Princeton, Duke, Stanford and Johns Hopkins universities as users. Scientists post details of an experiment they want to conduct and can then evaluate bids based on price, timeliness and the experience and equipment of those offering to carry it out.
Any contracts to carry out a piece of work are agreed between requester and provider, with Science Exchange taking a fee for hosting the arrangement and dealing with all the paying/billing administration, quality assurance and dispute resolution.
The founding scientist Elizabeth Iorns, a cancer researcher at the University of Miami, was prompted to set up the site by frustrating delays in conducting experiments within the confines of one institution.
The nascent Science Exchange service says it allows those with experiments to conduct to link up to “quality providers in the US”. But if such services do take off it seems likely that outsourcing could translate through to offshoring to providers in lower-cost economies.
In Europe, online markets for scientific experiments could contribute to development of a single European Research Area by providing publicly-funded scientist based in any country with access to leading facilities and equipment. The model could also underpin the operation of Europe’s shared large scientific infrastructures.
On Science Exchange the provider’s relationship with the scientist requesting an experiment be conducted is that of an independent contractor, and does not involve any formal partnership. The site provides tools for monitoring the progress of experiments. All experiments are carried out on a fee-for-service basis, and once the work is paid for, any intellectual property rights are the property of the scientist that requested the service.
Receive our news bulletin each Tuesday & Thursday and news about bridging Europe’s east-west innovation gap twice a month in The Widening. 
