Rarely has so dazzling a claim gone down in flames so quickly. In January, researchers from Japan and the United States published what purported to be an easier, more powerful new method for turning adult cells into stem cells. But within 3 weeks, online commentators spotted questionable images in the two papers. Doubts multiplied as other labs around the world tried and failed to repeat the feat. Lead author Haruko Obokata was found guilty of misconduct, Nature retracted the papers, and in a tragedy that shook the field, one co-author took his own life. Officials in Japan radically reorganized the RIKEN institute where most of the work was done, cutting staff from more than 500 to 250.
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