Europe has launched a registry to give researchers, regulators and the general public access to broad information about all available human embryonic stem-cell lines developed in Europe and their use.

Sponsored by the European Commission, the European Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry went live on 18 January at http://www.hescreg.eu .

The repository will provide an efficient research tool. But the commission also hopes that it will make use of the ethically sensitive cell lines fully transparent in a region where each nation has different regulations. For example, scientists may derive new stem-cell lines from embryos if they are based in Britain, but not if they are in Germany, where the registry will be hosted.

Scientists involved in the project say that sharing information and materials may help limit the number of new lines generated.