Lenny Teytelman is co-founder of protocols.io, a free, open platform for sharing scientific methods and protocols. In this episode, we discuss how better protocol sharing can address the reproducibility crisis in science and accelerate biomedical research.
The Origin Story: Frustration with Methods Sections
Every scientist has experienced the frustration: you read a paper, want to replicate the experiment, and the methods section is far too brief to actually reproduce the work. Critical details — incubation times, reagent concentrations, subtle technique variations — are routinely omitted due to journal space constraints.
This frustration drove Lenny to create protocols.io, a platform where scientists can share their complete, step-by-step methods in full detail, without the space limitations of traditional publications.
The Reproducibility Crisis and Protocol Sharing
The reproducibility crisis is one of the most pressing issues in modern science. Studies have shown that a significant percentage of published results cannot be independently reproduced. While there are many contributing factors, incomplete method descriptions are a major — and solvable — part of the problem.
If you cannot reproduce an experiment because the methods section left out critical details, that is not a failure of science — it is a failure of communication. And it is entirely fixable.
How Protocols.io Works
The platform offers several key features that make it a powerful tool for the scientific community:
- Free and open: Academics can use the platform at no cost, ensuring broad accessibility
- Step-by-step format: Protocols are broken into discrete, actionable steps rather than dense prose
- Version control: Like software code, protocols can be versioned, allowing iterative improvement over time
- Community features: Scientists can comment on, fork, and adapt existing protocols to their specific needs
- Rich media support: Embed images, videos, and files directly into protocol steps
Version Control for Protocols
One of the most innovative aspects of protocols.io is its version control system. In traditional publishing, a method is described once and frozen in time. On protocols.io, researchers can update their protocols as they refine their techniques, and the full version history is preserved. This mirrors the versioning systems used in software development and brings the same benefits to experimental science.
Integration with Journals and Publishers
Protocols.io has established integrations with major publishers, allowing researchers to link their publications directly to detailed protocols on the platform. This means that when you read a paper, you can click through to the complete, detailed method — bridging the gap between the abbreviated methods section and the actual bench protocol.
Business Model: Freemium for Impact
The platform operates on a freemium model:
- Free for academics: Individual researchers and academic institutions can use the platform without charge
- Paid for enterprise: Pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms pay for advanced features, private workspaces, and enterprise-level support
- Sustainable growth: Revenue from enterprise customers funds continued development and free academic access
Impact and Adoption
Since its launch, protocols.io has seen impressive adoption:
- Thousands of protocols shared openly on the platform
- Used by researchers at major institutions worldwide
- Growing community of contributors who actively comment and improve shared methods
- Endorsed by funding agencies and publishers as a best practice for method sharing
Credit and Attribution for Method Developers
A critical innovation of protocols.io is that it gives proper credit to the scientists who develop and refine methods. Each protocol gets a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), making it citable in the same way as a traditional publication. This means that the painstaking work of optimizing a protocol is finally recognized and rewarded in the academic credit system.
Connection to the Broader Open Science Movement
Protocols.io is part of a larger movement toward open science — the idea that research should be transparent, accessible, and collaborative. By making methods open and reusable, the platform reduces duplicated effort, accelerates discovery, and ultimately helps bring new treatments to patients faster.
About Bio2040
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