See the English translation below.
SEARCH Weekly newspaper of scientific society #12 (878) March 24, 2006
The list of winners on the site of international forum of scientists InnoCentive has gotten replenished by one more name of Russian researcher. The solution, submitted by a scientist from Saratov, Dr. Anatoly CHERNYSHEV, was acknowledged by the experts of the seeker company as successful and worthy of award. After graduation from Saratov State University A. Chernyshev worked in the Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms RAS (Russian Ac. Sci.), and currently he performs his duties in a research group at the University of Iowa, USA. The scientist talked in more details about his experience of interaction with the Internet forum with “SEARCH” reporter:
— If recalling correct, I have known about InnoCentive site and its services from the pages of Russian journal “Chemistry and Life” back in 2001. I got interested, visited the site (http://www.innocentive.com), and rectified the details of possible collaboration.
I did test my skills for several times trying to solve the site challenges. How difficult they were? Let’s take an example: I remember one challenge for which I spent a vast amount of time. It was like: here it is, the solution. Then you begin to reason critically and understand that you strayed away, and it’s not as simple as it looks. After several trials and errors, I came to a conclusion that given challenge restrictions, it could not be solved. Yet, specifically, such an “insolvability” of the challenge might actually be proven. And, after a while, I saw that this challenge became solved by somebody else. Ever since, I torture myself with a question: what might be that winning solution. The challenges posted on the site ain’t mathematics tests, where the validity of the response can be verified immediately. The point is that the solution (at least for the theoretical challenges) might be a winning and wrong one at the same time, simply if it will not pass the experimental tests.
So, it’s reasonable to say that the challenges posted on the InnoCentive site are all complex, taking into account that initially they could not be solved by research teams of large companies. Most of these challenges are interesting.
By the way, I think that many scientists have become attracted by the InnoCentive model of collaboration not just because of possibility to test their troubleshooting skills by solving the challenges posted at http://www.innocentive.com, but also to get the reward for the right answer. As the folk proverb says, “If you are being told that it’s not about the money, then eventually it turns out to be exactly about the money”…
During my online collaboration with InnoCentive I solved (and got awards) total of three challenges posted on the international forum of scientists. The first one was about degradation of a preservative. Some food preservative was getting discolored yellow with time, deteriorating the look of goods. It was necessary to explain how it happens and what could be done to prevent that. I became interested because the preservative structure was close to the compounds I studied before. The solution draft emerged in no time. I cannot say that I faced any difficulties. In the theoretical tasks the most important thing is the quick access to the information, and it poses no problem in the academic medium of the USA.
The second challenge was about drug targets. Given definite class of microorganisms, it was needed to identify proteins, whose inhibition will lead to the death of organism. As soon as I have direct interests in drug design, I decided to try myself in that challenge also. The solution came out easy, as the quick literature access helped this case as well. I managed to submit even two solution options; each one of them took about three weeks to complete. One of these options was awarded by InnoCentive.
The third challenge, of which successful solution I received the notice in February, was dedicated to increase stability of polymeric coatings towards ultraviolet light. The paint coating contained microscopic admixtures of a metal quickly aged under the action of sunlight. It was requested to suggest an additive to diminish this effect. Initially I had no intention whatsoever to solve this challenge, because I had neither experience nor interests in the polymer chemistry. However, just a while before, I tried to solve a biomedical challenge on pathogenic mechanism of a blood coagulation disorder. The volume of literature I had to deal with was so enormous that the reading it could be equated to receiving another M.Sc. degree. As a result, the solution of common polymer chemistry challenge appeared so trivial and straightforward that I just had to sit down and lay it out nicely. This took me another month and a half.
Was I sure about a positive result? You know, an old principle is good here: “Do what you must, and come what may”. I had no specific emotions after submitting the solution, just switched onto the next one. InnoCentive terms state that the solution provider (the researcher submitting the solution option for the company experts) must receive a final response in three months. InnoCentive complies with these deadlines.
More detailed list of the winners of the international forum of scientists can be found at the InnoCentive site, under “Solvers” link (the exact URL is: http://www.innocentive.com/servlets/project/ProjectInfo.po?s=AW).
Nina Shatalova