Stem Cell Crack Up

Ronald Bailey | December 14, 2005

University of Pittsburgh biologist Gerald Schatten has had a further falling out with his erstwhile collaborator South Korean stem cell researcher Woo-Suk Hwang. In November Schatten broke with Hwang over the fact that Hwang had used purchased human eggs and eggs donated by junior staff for his research, and apparently lied about it. Now Schatten wants his name taken off the Science article which detailed how Hwang created 11 patient-specific human embryonic stem cell lines. Schatten now believes that that paper contains inaccuracies and possibly even fabrications.

Fabricating results is the worst scientific crime that a researcher can commit. It's the moral equivalent of capital murder. Perhaps Hwang will have an explanation, but it's not looking good right now.