| Aug 23, 2013 |
University of Utah investigating allegations of manipulated research paper on nanotechnology
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(Nanowerk News) The University of Utah is investigating allegations that chemical engineering researchers might have altered microscopic images in a research paper to prove that their theory involving nanotechnology was correct.
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The paper was published in June, but the monthly research journal Nano Letters retracted it Aug. 15, citing concerns over data integrity. Nano Letters is one of 40 peer-reviewed research journals published by the American Chemical Society.
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The paper explored a new method of manipulating microscopic matter, which its authors said could be used to create synthetic antibodies.
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The probe into the research was started after a blog questioned microscopic images in the article, alleging they appeared to have been digitally manipulated.
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University Health Care’s medical ethics chief Jeffrey Botkin says the school also is investigating claims of altered images in another paper published by the same researchers.
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The lead author of both papers is Leonard Pease, an assistant chemical engineering professor. Rajasekhar Anumolu, a graduate research assistant, also is listed on the articles, The Salt Lake Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/16nuifA ).
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Pease did not respond to requests for comment from the Tribune or The Associated Press. Anumolu declined to make a statement to The Associated Press and referred comment to the university.
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The university’s investigation is expected to take about four months, Botkin said.
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“We have concerns enough to prompt a thorough investigation, but we haven’t made a determination yet about what happened,” he told The Tribune.
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Earlier this month, the school announced it found an internal medicine lab had “recklessly” manipulated information in 11 papers over five years, including doctored images and fabricated data.
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Ivana De Domenico, an assistant professor and the lead author on most of those papers, was fired in the wake of the university’s investigation. In a statement released through an attorney, De Domenico said she didn’t purposely falsify research and worked as “conscientiously as possible.”
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