RIKEN research institute President Ryoji Noyori bows during a press conference in Tokyo, Tuesday, April 1, 2014. Scientists at the RIKEN, a Japanese government-funded laboratory, said Tuesday it found that data in a widely heralded stem-cell research paper was falsified, holding the lead researcher responsible for the fabrication. The research results from the Riken Center for Development Biology in Kobe, western Japan, were seen as a possible groundbreaking method for growing tissue to treat illnesses such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease using a simple lab procedure. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Eugene Hoshiko, AP TOKYO -- Data in a widely lauded stem-cell research paper was falsified, a Japanese government-funded laboratory said Tuesday, as the lead researcher accused of the malpractice denied any wrongdoing. The research from the Riken Center for Development Biology in Kobe, western Japan, had been hailed as a possible breakthrough for growing tissue to treat illnesses such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease using a simple lab procedure. But significant discrepancies in the "game-changing" research published in January in scientific journal Nature led a panel of scientists at Riken to conclude they stemmed from falsified data. They said researcher Haruko Obokata, the lead author of the paper in Nature, had … Continue reading →

01 April 2014| last updated at 06:00PM The research from the Riken Center for Development Biology in Kobe, western Japan, had been hailed as a possible breakthrough for growing tissue to treat illnesses such as diabetes and Parkinsons disease using a simple lab procedure. But significant discrepancies in research published in January in scientific journal Nature led a panel of scientists at Riken to conclude they stemmed from falsified data. They said researcher Haruko Obokata, the lead author of the paper in Nature, had manipulated or falsified images of DNA fragments used in the research. The investigation committee has concluded that Ms. Obokata is responsible for manipulation and therefore for research malpractice, said Shunsuke Ishii, the Riken scientist who led the committee charged with investigating allegations the work was falsified. Obokata, in a statement also issued through Riken, vehemently objected to the committees findings. Follow this link: Lab says stem cell research falsified … Continue reading →

01 April 2014| last updated at 03:01PM Riken institute head, Ryoji Noyori, who jointly won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2001, said in a statement he will rigorously punish relevant people after procedures in a disciplinary committee. The punishment is expected to be meted out to lead researcher Haruko Obokata and her more experienced colleagues. The move is a huge blow to what was touted as a game-changing discovery, published by 30-year-old Obokata along with other Japanese researchers and a US-based scientist in the January edition of British journal Nature. The study outlined a relatively simple way to grow transplant tissue in the lab by converting regular adult cells into a kind of stem cell a cell that has the potential to become differentiated into the various specialised cells that make up the brain, heart, kidneys and other organs. But it faced questions after the respected institute, which sponsored the study, launched an inquiry last month over the credibility of its data. Originally posted here: 'Phony' stem cell research scientist to be punished … Continue reading →