A group of scientists which operates from a website called 
Synaptic Leap has created an online research collaboration 
to develop cures for tropical diseases. Big pharmaceutical 
companies are unlikely to develop drugs for these diseases 
because the financial return is too small. The Synaptic 
Leap group will prioritize a list of experiments that 
anyone can take on via online discussion. They hope that 
this will lead to development of drugs for tropical 
diseases even though it means participants will give up 
their rights to patent discoveries because of the 
collaboration.