A simple and efficient method is described for isolating high quality RNA from bilberry fruit. The procedure is based on the use of hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and beta-mercaptoethanol in an extraction buffer in order to eliminate the polysaccharides and prevent the oxidation of phenolic compounds. This method is a modification of the one described for pine trees, and yields high-quality RNA suitable for cDNA based methodologies. This method is applicable for a variety of plant tissues.

PurposeThis paper seeks to discuss the outcomes of a road‐mapping research on social media project completed at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Social media refer to a combination of three elements: content, user communities, and Web 2.0 technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilizes socio‐technical road‐mapping to study the potential transformations of social media in the virtual and physical spheres.FindingsRoad‐maps were constructed in three thematic areas: society, companies, and local environment. The results were crystallized into five development lines. The first development line is transparency and its increasing role in society. The second development line is the rise of a ubiquitous participatory communication model. The third development is reflexive empowerment citizens. The fourth development line is the duality of personalization/fragmentation vs mass effects/integration. The fifth development line is the new relations of physical and virtual worlds.Originality/valueThe study of social media has been focusing mainly on its technological aspects from the current perspective. This paper forms a future‐oriented perspective to social media in a wider societal context.

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How to combine research knowledge across disciplines is a big question when studying and developing services in industry and public organizations. This paper presents a new kind of workshop process aiming at co-creation in a research network. We piloted the process at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland during January-May 2009. 2) Design/methodology/approach We combined foresight and organisational learning methods, namely roadmapping and developmental impact evaluation. During the workshops VTT researchers and the management were enabled to create a shared understanding of service research strategy at VTT. The workshops were designed to facilitate dialogue between the users of the research, potential collaborators such as universities, funding agencies and societal actors in the field of service science. 3) Findings Although, the need for such a way of acting is often stated, it is rarely achieved in practice. Thus our method is a concrete way for managing future-oriented networking across organisational borders as a basis for continuous learning and innovation. 4) Practical implications The process is a potential embryo for a new kind of research culture towards learning in the network, shared and transparent planning of project proposals. 5) Originality/value For the first time the methods of foresight and learning organisations are combined. Furthermore, the process builds up a network and its research strategy from below, from above and together with customers and collaborators.