ethics in science

It is normal to see people over-interpreting data.This is not a crime.It is a flaw.It comes with an obsession to see every expriment create a whole new paradigm, a new niche . Sometimes,this obsession goes a bit too far.


In the past few days, I have been reading about the South Korean scientist, Hwang Woo Suk was a scientist who had almost achieved cult the status of a hero for what was thought to be a break through in the field of Embryonic stem cells and regenerative medicine.If his techniques worked, we would have been one step closer to growing replacement organs to replace any that may have been diseased.However, rather than becoming a chapter in a Text book for medicine and stem cells, he has instead become a prime case study for ethics in science.

Dr.Suk claimed to have produced cell lines tailor made for individuals.This implies, that you could make tissue which resembles a pateint's without upsetting his immune system. To get here, he not only cloned human embryos( a tremendous achievement in itself), but also derived stem cell lines from them.

After the initial euphoria died down,details of breaches in accepted ethical standards were noticed.
He claimed to have made 11 or 12 cell lines (dont remember exact number),or 11 different types of raw material to make new tissue. However, he later declared that he had lost some of them to fungal infection( something plausible) and the others, he claimed were not completely derived yet.Only two were ready.He had rushed too early with the publications. I assume that he thought that all he had written would be accomplished,but things dint exactly go his way.

The rest of the story, i leave to you people to dig out of the internet.Nature,Science,BBC,New Scientist and a host of other sites have carried sufficient information about where this story has gone.I have heard today that he has retracted his paper from the journal science.


As i have come to see it now, every scientist is wary of over-interpretation and tries his/her level best to avoid it.However, when someone overinterprets or misinterprets data,willingly, it becomes manipulation. This is one of the crimes Dr.Suk is guilty of according to the facts available to us.One case is insufficient to malign science.However,what worries me is that this malaise is reasonably widespread,atleast in some of the circles I move in.


A grad student I know, has a very promising question to work on.He presented his preliminary data at a conference.What he dint tell them, was that most of the data he had shown didnot have a control with which it could be compared! He Knew that his data would have no vlaue without the control.You could neever know what normal is,to say if the data you are showing is something abnormal.THis is manipulation.

I also know a faculty.He is guilty of manipulation.He was trying to map the lineages of a specific animal.When the data didnot match his expectation, he changed the raw material from which the data was obtained.he also turned a blind eye to potential sources of error.This is manipulation.

In the strictest scenario, the second case is not manipulation.But anything which plays with the faith of fellow researchers is manipulation.

What is worrisome is that so many gifted people have gone down the wrong track.Manipulation,rather the lack of fairness and integrity in research seems to be more prevalent than what most may agree.What we require to do is to clamp down on this behaviour and remedy it as soon as possible.Its not fair on anyone's part to expect that all scientists be fair.Its not possible since they are also humans.I was discouraged by the presence of such behaviour in a premiere institute.


However,to observers outside science,I would like remind to them that not every worker in science is contaminated by this behaviour.After all, most of us work exceptionally hard for a pittance.Many come to this field for the love of it,rather than because they have nowhere else to go. Let us not forget this year's Nobel winner-who infected himself with a bacterium to prove that ulcers are caused by pylori, or those great people who laid down thier lives to prove that yellow fever is caused by musquitos.

If anyone has to be angered by manipulation,it should be the scientific community and not the many outside it.DONT BLAME ALL OF SCIENCE FOR MINUTE DISTORTIONS.TRY TO SOLVE THEM IF POSSIBLE.Afterall, if not for science, humanity would not be here and i wouldnt be typing on a blog- the many offspring of the internet- a creation of a scientist at CERN.