Scientists are flocking to YouTube™ and joining the video sharing phenomenon. Whether teaching high tech concepts or promoting products as out of the mainstream as genomic isolation kits, YouTube and similar video distribution platforms provide mass communication tools and reach an international audience of
students, collaborators, and, some hope, customers.

The popularity of YouTube stems in part from its user friendliness.  Sign up is easy and so is uploading.  Common file types are converted to Web-accessible videos using Adobe Flash® technology.  What’s more, uploading is free.  And the audience is huge. According to a Nielson/NetRatings Survey report in July 2006, the monthly audience of unique users in June of that year was 19.6 million. 

The popularity of YouTube stems in part from its user friendliness.  Sign up is easy and so is uploading.  Common file types are converted to Web-accessible videos using Adobe Flash® technology.  What’s more, uploading is free.  And the audience is huge. According to a Nielson/NetRatings Survey report in July 2006, the monthly audience of unique users in June of that year was 19.6 million. 

Breaking down barriers to information-sharing creates opportunities for those in the life sciences. Educators and researchers have used YouTube to provide educational videos, promote conferences, and share research techniques. Even renowned geneticist Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), has appeared on YouTube.

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