Prometheus, in Greek mythology was the god who formed humans from clay. He then stole the fire from Zeus, and gave it to men. For this, he was chained on Mount Caucaso and condemned to be forever eaten by an eagle. He was then set free by Hercules, and returned to Olympus with the approval of Zeus.

As of introducer of fire and inventor of crafts, having brought knowledge to men, Prometheus was seen as the patron of human civilization. PrometeoNetwork decided to name itself after this mythological figure, hoping to bring more knowledge to its members.

The need of sharing information is particularly evident in the Life-Science field. Technology involves fast, with a continuous need for innovative equipments and trained researchers. If this need can rarely be satisfied inside a single institution, by using this network researchers and physicians can reach beyond making possible the achievement of their professional goals. PrometeoNetwork was created a year ago by a small group of Italian doctors and researchers relocated to the United States for work. It started as a small group and after one year its members can reach 6,000 international members through the platform shared with Within3.

The aim of its founders was, and still is, to build a trusted and solid community where Researchers and Physicians benefit from networking, sharing knowledge and promoting scientific collaborations. PrometeoNetwork, through a partnership with Within3, applies internet technologies to satisfy the need that scientists and physicians have in obtaining resources and knowledge. Its founders and advisors believe that allowing scientists to interact, share information and contact each other through a trusted network of scientist, will give another boost to Research and Medicine in terms of knowledge and collaborations.
The mission of PrometeoNetwork is to provide researchers in Life Sciences and physicians with a scientific community online, where they can be able to interact with each other. PrometeoNetwork is a trusted network of connections where information and resources are attainable to every member.
Inside the network there are several subgroups based on scientific interest, Institution, geographic location or nationality, to enhance benefits of our Members.

In order to increase the benefits for the members of its Community, PrometeoNetwork includes several groups for medicine and research in Life Sciences. Being part of a PrometeoGroup, doctors and researchers can have a closer interaction with colleagues working in their same field, or in/from the same area. Given the way the networking platform works, this will also expand the network that can be "seen" online. Here is a list of the sub-groups present at the moment in the Network: International Life Sciences Online, Latin American Life Sciences Online, Italian Life Sciences Online, West Coast Life Sciences Online, Bone Marrow Transplant Centre – Reggio Calabria (Italy), Oncology and Hematology Department of the Istituto Clinico Humanitas – Milan (Italy), Multidisciplinary Oncology & Cancer Research, Neurosciences, Young Surgeons, Stem Cells, Proteomics & Microarray, NanoMedicine & NanoBiotechnology. A huge increase of the number of sub-groups and members is expected in 2008 due to the growing visibility that the network is receiving through participation to congresses, from being featured in news articles and from the partnerships with Institutions and Organizations at an international level.

PrometeoNetwrok offers to its members visibility by publishing their work on the website news and/or through Press Agencies. It also makes the latest scientific news available to its members on the website and through the partner-site, Within3. PrometeoNetwork also organizes fund-raising events to give grants and scholarships for research projects or training of researchers in Life Sciences and lately it introduced the PrometeoNetwork Travel Awards (PNTA) a financial award offered to its youngest members to support them to attend and present their work at scientific conferences.

The founders and managers of PrometeoNetwork are extremely cautious regarding members' privacy. They have a legal agreement with the Company providing our powerful networking tool, Within3. PrometeoMembers will not receive any advertisement or any non-scientific or non-technical communication, and they will always have a free access to the Network. Neither the founders nor the managers of PrometeoNetwork and of its sub-groups receive money for working on this, which they like to claim "a great adventure". They are all volunteers, who believe in the importance of building a worldwide open community of Scientists. They did not open a bank account. Sponsors or organizers of fundraising events directly pay for expenses and/or fellowships. You can join one or more groups and best of all your membership is free!

To prove the value of this fast growing network, the prestigious scientific journal Nature has published an article on Prometeonetwork. In the article Prometeo was featured as the key to the crucial need of networking and communication in the modern science world. Here is the link to the article: http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2007/070628/full/nj7147-1140b.html.

If you would like to learn more about this Network please visit www.prometeonetwork.com or e-mail coordinator@prometeonetwork.com