MU researcher accused of altering his findings
Former Life Sciences director's article is now under investigation.
Published Nov. 3, 2006
According to the Oct. 27 issue of Science, a prominent biology report by former director of the Life Sciences Center R. Michael Roberts, "may not be reliable."
On Feb. 17, a journal by four MU researchers was published by Science magazine. It stated, "Controversy exists as to whether individual blastomeres from two-cell-stage mouse embryos have identical developmental properties and fate."
The research was headed by Roberts, the curators' professor of animal science.
After the article was published, a scientist who disagreed with the research and the "reliability of images in documents" wrote to Science, said Robert Hall, MU vice chancellor for research.
Hall said some of the allegations are that Roberts, or someone involved with the project, might have altered images that appeared in the Science article. It's possible that a knowledgeable person used Photoshop to alter up to two pictures of two figures with four images of those same two figures, totaling up to eight images.
After the article was published, an unidentified scientist wrote to Science that there could be problems with the research, said Evelyn Brown, a spokeswoman for Science.
With this information, the magazine took action by letting the readers know through its letters column in a prominently displayed "Editorial Expression of Concern" by editor in chief Donald Kennedy.
The letter stated that it had come to the attention of the publication through Hall and Roberts that there is an ongoing investigation at MU on the story, therefore letting the readers know that the report may not be reliable, Brown said.
Brown said Science is not making any statement about the work, but just letting the readers know of concern.
The article centered on the embryonic cells of mice. According to the Nov. 4 issue of New Scientist magazine, Roberts and his colleagues at MU "claimed that the first two cells in a mouse embryo, created after just one cell division, have profoundly different fates: one giving rise to the placenta and related tissues, the other to the fetus proper."
Roberts had three colleagues working on this project under him, Deb Kaushik, Mayandi Sivaguru and Hwan Yul Yong. None of the three are still working for the university.
There is a process that every scientific article must go through before it is published in a scientific magazine. For Science, the contributors submit the reports, and those papers are reviewed by a panel of scientific experts.
"Articles must be able to withstand scrutiny from other knowledgeable scientists," Brown said.
She also said that the panel is a panel of the scientists' peers. They look at methods, results, and they also determine whether the scientific process was followed.
MU is also undergoing a lengthy investigation on the allegations. The investigation started around June 1, but was slowed down because of the inaccessibility of many faculty members during summer break.
The investigation is a two-step process, Hall said during a news conference on Thursday in Jesse Hall.
The first step is an adhoc committee of inquiry. Appointed by the dean, three senior faculty members in the field are involved in the investigation. This is similar to a grand jury, Hall said. These three will interview many experts in the field, both inside and outside the university.
If there is probable cause, the university will deploy a standing committee of research responsibility, which consists of four faculty members from across campus who are not related to the field in question, Hall said.
If the standing committee finds the party guilty, then it will be up to the chancellor to decide what disciplinary actions will take place. Upon that decision, it can be appealed to the president. No matter what the outcome, information about the inquiry and verdict will go to the National Institutes of Health.
Such an intense investigation is needed because NIH federal funding is involved. During the investigation, the parties involved are still allowed to continue their research, he said.
Roberts used to be the director of the Life Sciences Center, but he stepped down before going on sabbatical more than a year ago. Hall said this was unrelated to the investigation.
When contacted, Roberts declined to comment on the allegations at this time.