The Technion libraries have recently purchased premium access to two important and resourceful databases for biology and the life science: unlimited access to JoVE (a professional video library) and access to BioRender (the world’s first tool to help scientists create and share beautiful and professional scientific figures). 

An unlimited access to JoVE

JoVE is a professional video library for life sciences’ research. The unlimited access includes all the different modules and categories in JoVE, and contains valuable videos such as detailed experiments and lab protocols, manuals, animated textbooks, instructions, and courses materials. 
All the videos in JoVE are peer-reviewed and indexed in acknowledged and professional databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Pubmed. 

Access to BioRender

BioRender is an online graphic editor for scientists and researchers (mostly in the fields of medical science and biology), and for educational purposes. With BioRender, anyone can create accurate and clear graphic demonstrations of complex scientific concepts. BioRender is user-friendly and intuitive, making it the most efficient and practical way to illustrate scientific ideas. The graphic demonstrations can be used in research, lectures, courses, books, and to share your ideas with other professionals and colleagues. 

About scientific illustrations

Scientific illustrations and graphic demonstrations are meant to present the main idea in a scientific text and support the idea presented in the text. The visual demonstrations allow the readers to better understand more complex ideas and add clarity and details to complex concepts. 

Scientific illustrations can be: 

• Simple and clear diagrams or plans
• Detailed illustrations with textures and colors that add more context 
• Realistic scientific illustrations (e.g., botanical illustrations) 

BioRender is a very efficient tool for simple illustrations and for more detailed illustrations (it currently cannot create realistic representations). BioRender allows the scientists to create the graphics themselves, using existing illustrations and icons library in a drag-and-drop platform.

To create an Institutional BioRender account with your Technion email address, contact the central library via the libraries website (contact us).

Copyrights notes:

Aside from a proper citation, all that is required to publish BioRender content in a thesis, or article, within a peer-reviewed journal is a publication license that can be downloaded by the user at the time they export their illustration. A thesis that is held only within the University’s library system is considered unpublished and does not require a publication license. There is no limit on the number of theses or articles with BioRender content that a user can publish in a peer-reviewed journal or in a university library system.