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Doctored photos prompt journal to retract research study

COLUMBIA Mo.
The journal Science retracted a paper Friday that included
doctored photos from a former researcher at the University of
Missouri-Columbia.

The retraction in the journal’s print edition was made one
day after the school announced it had completed an investigation that
determined postdoctoral researcher Kaushik Deb had altered pictures of mouse
embryos.

Questions had arisen after the photos appeared in a February
2006 issue of the journal. Complaints to both Science and the university had
prompted the magazine to issue an “editorial expression of concern”
in October warning readers the results of the earlier study might not be
reliable.

The research indicated that cell division of a mouse embryo
differentiated sooner than previously shown, with one cell eventually forming a
placenta while the other formed a fetus. It had major implications in
determining which early stage cells could be used to create embryonic stem cell
lines, said R. Michael Roberts, who led the research group.

“Retraction is a relief in a way,” Roberts said.
“I’ve wanted to retract for over a year.”

The university requested the retraction after the conclusion
of the investigation, which cleared Roberts and two other researchers, Mayandi
Sivaguru and H.Y. Yong, of any wrongdoing in the case.

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