Your frequently asked questions

CancerTools.org

Why was CancerTools.org created? 

Research tools are critical for scientist to advance cancer research discoveries. As it stands, there is no single, non-profit, centralised resource for cancer researchers to both contribute and acquire research tools from. CancerTools.org aims to fulfil this requirement, aiding the accessibility of cancer research materials as well as uniting cancer researchers, institutions and societies globally, to cultivate a cancer research community on a centralised portal.  Please visit our about us page to watch our video and read more about our mission. 

Where is CancerTools.org based? 

CancerTools.org’s main offices are based in London, UK and Boston, US. To contact one of our offices, please visit our contact us page.

How to contribute

CancerTools.org is a non-profit global research tools collaborative where cancer researchers, from over 175 institutes worldwide, contribute research tools and share knowledge to accelerate cancer research discoveries.

Research tools are physically scattered across labs globally with limited accessibility. Part of the research tool arm within Cancer Research UK, CancerTools.org has over 40 years’ of knowledge, capability and experience to manage, maintain and distribute research tools at a global scale.

Built by and for cancer researchers, CancerTools.org pays forward for future cancer research via a global revenue share to the institute where the research tool was developed and to Cancer Research UK, the world’s largest cancer research charitable funder.

Support cancer researchers globally and increase the impact of research beyond your lab. Contribute your tools today 

1. Submit information related to the tool you wish to contribute
   a. You have developed a research tool that is cancer related or of interest to cancer researchers
   b. Register your interest through the CancerTools.org website
   
   
2. A team member will liaise with you and relevant personnel to ensure all requirements are met
   a. You receive an email requesting further information associated with your research tools for example, the tool type, relevant details, accompanying images, ownership and references, if any.
   b. Once the information is gathered, it will be reviewed by the team
   c. A member of the team will get in touch to welcome you to the CancerTools.org community and to provide you with more details on next steps
   d. We will work with your institute’s technology transfer office, to ensure all necessary legal requirements are met – This can take a while, depending on the size and priorities of your technology transfer office
   e. We work with you to set up, review and finalise the online page detailing your research tool
   f. You have the option to set up your own online profile page providing other global members of the cancer community the opportunity to find out more about you and your research and to request collaboration opportunities
   
   
3. The team will manage and maintain your tools and make them available to the wider cancer research community
   a. Cancer researchers worldwide can now request and access your research tool(s) via www.cancertools.org

The current CancerTools.org portfolio consists of antibodies, cell lines, iPSCs, organoids, experimental models and small molecules that have been developed in a lab. Discover more about contributing your research tools.

Inventorship, Ownership and Intellectual property rights
 
Who are the inventors of my cancer research tool?

This is usually the individual(s) who created the tangible new research tool. For example, this could be the post-doc who created the research tool in the laboratory, as well as their principal investigator or lab manager who developed and planned the creation of the tool.

Who are the owners of my cancer research tool?

If you created a research tool whilst you were employed at a company, university or research institute, then there will be specific terms in place, usually detailed in your employment or other contract, that determine the ownership of the rights in any research tools that you create. These terms can differ between countries and between institutes. In the UK, for example, the owner is typically the university or other entity that you were employed by or affiliated to at the time you developed the research tool.

What are third party rights associated to my research tool?

A third party may have rights in a component of your research tool that has been developed elsewhere, e.g. at another institute, or by somebody else, such as host cell line, fluorescent tag, promotion vector etc. For example, if you create a new genetically modified cell line, the creator of the parental cell line (if not you) would also need to be identified. If another laboratory developed the parental line, then that laboratory/their affiliated institute would have rights in the parental line and therefore potentially in your research tool. There may also be terms in place between your institute and a third party that determine ownership of the rights in certain research tools. This means that multiple institutes could have ownership rights in your research tool, and you will need permission from all those third parties before you can sell the research tool – something that the team at CancerTools.org is here to help with.

What are my rights after contributing?

When a research tool is made available for sale via CancerTools.org, ownership of the tool doesn’t change. As the inventor or owner of a research tool, you, and your affiliated research institute if applicable (at the time the research tools was developed), are free to continue to use the tool for your own research and teaching purposes. CancerTools.org will manage access requests and distribute your tool to cancer researchers globally.

Will we be acknowledged as the contributor of the research tool?

The research tool website page will state the inventors and owners of a research tool and the inventor’s affiliated research institute (if applicable) at the time the research tool was developed. If you have made another research tool available for sale via CancerTools.org, such other research tool will be hyperlinked to on cancertools.org.

Does my tool need to be patented?

A research tool does not need to be patented to be available on CancerTools.org.

No. If you wish to apply for a patent for your research tool, it is up to you or the owner of the research tool (as applicable) to apply. If your research tool already has an associated patent (and/or trade mark), it is up to the affiliated institute to maintain those intellectual property rights at their discretion.

Your research tool does not need to have been included in a published research paper. However, you will need to provide evidence of the tool’s use and functionality. We also ask that you keep us updated of any publications when they are granted so that your research tool can attain more attention from the cancer research community.

Thank you for sharing information on your research tool. A member of the team will review the information you have provided.

Once the review process has been successfully completed, CancerTools.org will liaise with you and the technology transfer office at your institute to ensure all necessary formalities are completed prior to making your tool available on CancerTools.org.

Sending my tools to CancerTools.org

Do I need to provide my own packaging and materials e.g. dry ice/ labels etc.?

CancerTools.org will provide you with instructions on the packaging requirements and how to package your research tools to ensure safe delivery to our biorepository and production facilities. A team member will also be available to answer any queries you may have on the packaging process.

Who’s responsible for the shipping and payment for the contribution of my tools to CancerTools.org?

CancerTools.org will liaise with you to arrange the collection of your tools for shipping using their nominated courier. Although the collection is complimentary for all CancerTools.org community members, depending on the region you are requesting the collection from, you may need to liaise directly with the nominated courier to arrange your research tools collection at a time that suits you.

Joining the collaborative

Why should I partner with CancerTools.org? 

CancerTools.org is paving the way for cancer researchers, institutes, professional societies, membership organisations and other non-profits to unite globally, to accelerate cancer research globally. As a member of the CancerTools.org community, you will obtain a chance to appear alongside other leading cancer research societies and institutes and gain an opportunity to align and advance local and global cancer research in line with your mission. In partnering with CancerTools.org, you will pay forward for future cancer research via a global revenue share and ultimately, be a part of a collaborative who share the common goal of propelling innovations and discoveries within cancer research.  Whilst experiencing new ways to engage with research, your members will obtain endless opportunities to collaborate with like-minded researchers and share lab inventions with the wider cancer research community. If you are interested in joining our collaborative, please register your interest.  

I’m a Cancer charity, what are the benefits of partnering with CancerTools.org?

CancerTools.org currently has strategic partnerships in place with several cancer charities. As part of the CancerTools.org collaborative, these charities have entered into a revenue sharing agreement and benefit from co-marketing opportunities. Joining CancerTools.org not only provides you with these benefits, but also provides connection opportunities for you and your members, with like-minded individuals and institutes around the world, who share the goal of advancing cancer research.

Your members’ can identify future research collaborations through the CancerTools.org collaborative network and can advance their cancer research by easily contributing and acquiring research tools through a single location. Discover more.

 Who else has partnered with CancerTools.org 

CancerTools.org has partnered with cancer researchers from >175 institutes and societies worldwide. More information on our partners can be found on the community page. If you would like to join the CancerTools.org collaborative, please get in touch!

The order process

Why should I acquire research tools through CancerTools.org?  

CancerTools.org is an established, single, centralised, online collaborative specifically focused on global cancer research tools such as antibodies, cell lines, experimental models, small molecules etc. from over 175 institutes worldwide. 

CancerTools.org shares a mission with cancer researchers to accelerate cancer research. To that end, tools accessed through CancerTools.org pay for future cancer research, via a global revenue share to the inventing researcher and to Cancer Research UK, the world’s largest cancer research charitable foundation. Visit the tool portfolio.

 What tools are available through CancerTools.org? 

The CancerTools.org portfolio consists of a vast diversity of cancer research tools including antibodies, cell lines, iPSCs, organoids, experimental models, small molecules and other latest state of the art technologies such as CRISPR. Start your search. 

What is the relationship between CancerTools.org, Cancer Research Horizon and Cancer Research UK? 

CancerTools.org is the research tool arm of Cancer Research UK. Learn more about CancerTools.org and our relationship to Cancer Research UK on the about us page.

I’ve placed my order, what happens now? 

 What are the payment options when placing an order? 

Do you charge VAT? 

How sustainable is your packaging? 

How do we ship our tools? 

How much are the shipping costs? 

 Can I get a tool sample before I acquire my desired research tool? 

Where can you ship to? 

We have the facilities to ship our tools worldwide. Once your order has been placed, we will keep you updated with details of your shipment via email.