Website launched for sharing flu research

The Public Library of Science (PLoS), a US nonprofit, has launched a website designed for health researchers to quickly share discoveries or ideas about battling influenza.

A test version of PLoS Currents: Influenza website went live with help from internet powerhouse, Google.

"In response to the recent worldwide H1N1 influenza outbreak, the first PLoS Currents research theme is influenza," PLoS chairman Harold Varmus wrote in a message at Google's website yesterday.

"The key goal of PLoS Currents is to accelerate scientific discovery by allowing researchers to share their latest findings and ideas immediately with the world's scientific and medical communities."

A "small, expert research community" runs the Currents website, which features Google Knol technology for sharing data vetted by moderators, according to Varmus.

Currents also taps into a new, independent Rapid Research Notes database at the US National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Currents: Influenza was described as a prototype for future PLoS websites devoted to other health topics.