Scientific Writing - Essay Example

Obakata et al.’s Stimulus-Triggered Acquisition of Pluripotency (STAP) Research: A Case of False Scientific Writing November 12, 2014On January 30, 2014, Haruko Obakata and several other notable stem cell research co-authors published two studies in the international journal Nature, where they claimed that they have found a low-cost and easy technique of producing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. iPS cells have the ability to act like embryonic cells, which can turn into any other cell (Obakata et al., 2014). Obakata et al. (2014) stressed mature mice T cells to convert them into iPS, in a process that they called “stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP).

” The stressors include bathing them in an acid bath. Obakata and many of her co-authors are part of the research teams of the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan. Other Riken researches, however, tried to replicate Obakata’s study and did not find supporting evidence. As a result, it launched an investigation that proved that the research has serious data flaws. Obakata has retracted these two papers from Nature because of allegations of changing data and plagiarism.

An investigating committee has found her guilty of fabricating and falsifying data, and she now faces potential dismissal from Riken and losing her doctorate degree. The investigating committee discovered that Obakata may be involved in falsifying and fabricating data. The committee noted that when they studied the DNA images of Obakata’s work, one DNA was spliced from two DNAs. The head of the committee, Shunsuke Ishii, stated: “The manipulation was used to improve the appearance of the results” (Sample, 2014).

Obokata insisted that she only wanted to improve the clarity of the image and not to change the data itself (Sample, 2014). Changing DNA images suggests falsifying data results. In addition, Obakata fabricated data when data inconsistencies are found in her work. She told her co-researcher Teruhiko Wakayama that the green fluorescent protein (GFP) that they used to tag changes in expression of experimental gene is on the 15th chromosome (Cyranoski, 2014). Wakayama tested the mice and found the STAP cells through the GFP in the 18th chromosome (Cyranoski, 2014).

Furthermore, the committee noted that Obakata reused data from her dissertation, which also means that she falsified her research by including data that were not part of her original research (Japan Times, 2014). Fabricating and falsifying data are serious accusations, though Obakata stressed that she did not change or add anything to her data (Cyranoski, 2014). Apart from data falsification and fabrication, Obakata faces charges of plagiarism. First, the committee shows that she has plagiarized from her doctoral thesis (Sample, 2014).

She has reused data images to support the results of new experiments in her retracted Nature articles. Second, some the pages of her work are plagiarized from other websites (McNeill, 2014). Self-plagiarism and copying the works of others without proper citation or paraphrasing can easily show that the research is false. Because of the charges against her, Obakata, being the lead author of her paper and lead scientist of the research, could be dismissed from Riken and lose her doctorate degree.

Obakata continues to be a member of Riken, but she is under investigation. Because she is under a contract, Riken has maintained Obakata in its staff, but she may be soon dismissed. McNeill (2014) reported that the “…committee [that was] set up to decide disciplinary measures would probably recommend dismissal.” Besides dismissal, it is possible that Obakata will also lose her doctorate degree. Waseda University said Tuesday it will remove Obokata’s doctorate until she made proper changes to her dissertation (Japan Times, 2014).

Some parts of her dissertation came out as plagiarized and used in her Nature articles that were retracted (Japan Times, 2014). Obakata’s Nature articles in January 2014 are examples of false scientific writing because they showed data falsification and fabrication, as well as plagiarism. False scientific articles are retracted from scientific journals, and their lead authors can also face significant sanctions. Obakata has not only lost credibility, but she also faces potential dismissal from Riken and losing her doctorate degree.

Works CitedCyranoski, D. 2014. Gene tests suggest acid-bath stem cells never existed. Nature. http://www.nature.com/news/gene-tests-suggest-acid-bath-stem-cells-never-existed-1.15425. Last updated June 17, 2014; date viewed November 6, 2014. (Japan Times). 2014. Waseda to strip Obokata of doctorate unless she corrects her dissertation. Japan Times October 7, 2014. Available from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/10/07/national/science-health/waseda-strip-obokata-doctorate-unless-corrects-dissertation/#.

VGJz1DSUdYw. Accessed November 6, 2014.McNeill, D. 2014. Academic scandal shakes Japan. The New York Times July 6, 2014. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/07/world/asia/academic-scandal-shakes-japan.html?_r=0. Accessed November 6, 2014.Obokata, H., Wakayama, T., Sasai, Y., Kojima, K., Vacanti, M.P., Niwa, H., Yamato, M. and Vacanti, C.A. 2014. Stimulus-triggered fate conversion of somatic cells into pluripotency. Nature 505: 641–647. Available from http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v505/n7485/full/nature12968.html. Accessed November 6, 2014.Sample, I. 2014.

Stem cell scientist Haruko Obokata found guilty of misconduct. The Guardian April 1, 2014. Available from http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/apr/01/stem-cell-scientist-haruko-obokata-guilty-misconduct-committee. Accessed November 6, 2014.