Pros and cons of sharing Zika discoveries straight from the lab

The quick spread and potentially devastating public health risks of the Zika virus in North and South America have researchers, drug companies and government officials scrambling to land on a plan to fight back.

But considering the magnitude of these endeavors, the efforts are so many and so widespread that data sharing might not be as efficient as necessary to develop a cure or vaccine as soon as possible.

So, according to the New York Times, one research team at the University of Wisconsin in Madison is giving away its Zika information for free online. The data is available for other scientists and physicians to build upon the existing research, for faster and cheaper advancements.

Of course, this also means that the researchers forgo the prestige and some of the peer-reviewed legitimacy that comes with being published in a journal.

Check out the New York Times to see how the researchers use monkeys to conduct their research along with the reaction from the rest of the scientific community.