bugenhu的个人博客分享 http://blog.sciencenet.cn/u/bugenhu

博文

我在耶鲁举报科研造假案的经历之“政府ORI的作为”(一)

已有 6270 次阅读 2010-2-1 12:51 |个人分类:未分类|系统分类:博客资讯|关键词:学者| 耶鲁, 科研造假

20083月份所内部方案执行到,以后又是数月的 闭门会谈(confidential meeting)”  我看不出耶鲁校方有任何意愿想搞清我所举报的科研造假案。因为在所有交涉的会谈中,我一直强调我所举报案例的特点就是作者所用实验方法本身的问题,即用其实验方法(Y FISHY/SPC标记)作者是无法得出相应的 实验结果数据的。我反复向耶鲁官方指出: 只要在阴,阳性对照样本上验证作者的实验方法则真相一目了然,而且我还提供了第一作者200836日的电子邮件。该邮件中她自已都承认: 她从未将Y/SPC标记搞工作过,连FISH看来也不工作了。而在几个月的时间中, 鲁所刻意回避谈及的正是作者的实验方法和由这些方法所产生的实验数据。在百般无奈的情况下, 我于20088月份正式向美国政府学术道德办公室 (简称为ORI) 实名举报此案。要求ORI调查此案。

一个月后收到其回复,ORI称:只有在特殊情况下ORI才能进行独立调查,我所举报的事不属特例。还得由耶鲁自行调查(这才有耶鲁于2008年9月11日收缴作者的实验记录,倒是收不到作者与其文章FASEB 2007 相关的任何原始记录,反倒逼我交出含有我未发表的相关实验方法的记录本。详情请见我的博文:事件回放;“耶鲁的调查”)。

随着耶鲁2008年10月22日关闭案例使我清楚的意识到举报如此荒谬科研造假案中遇到的阻力。在耶鲁的所谓调查中不但刻意回避作者实验方法和其相应“实验数据”的问题,连对第一作者2008年3月6日电子邮件的解释都没有就关闭案例,更别说让作者方提供其“完美Y FISH实验数据”为真实的实验结果的证据。而作者这封电子邮件中她自已都承认其Y FISH,Y/SPC双标记方法不工作,就可作为对其文章中相应的“完美实验数据”的直接不利证据!现实逼我也调整打假策略,必须使案例最简单化,而使对方在科学上,技术上,逻辑上无任何回旋余地,即无任何借口除非对方靠权力赤裸裸的玩政治游戏。

其实在我举报之前,我已对现实作了充分的评估,就象我做任何科研课题之前所做可行性评估一样。只要“裁判”稍褊但对方,这将是一场实力非常悬殊的搏奕,我唯一可依靠的就是在台面上美国这个社会所公认的一个基本价值观:程序本身的公正性。在生命科学领域搞科研既是我的职业又是我养家糊口的饭碗,而这些全是捏在对方手中。而我所举报的科研造假案是一个史无前例的谎谬造假案:在实验方法学上的造假,而且多年以来一直是这般玩法,一旦暴光则有多少人的既的利益将毁于我手中。我1989年就到美国,一直就做 bench scientist 凭本事养家糊口,用心来做科研与世无争。但对美国社会多少有些感性认识:在台面上对任何人均有刚性的制约,谁也不能例外。可任何丑事只要能压在台面下则就象没事发生一样,所以这里所实际遵循的基本原则是利益关系。我能在科学技术上将老板团队多年都无法解决的实验方法技术问题用几个月时间就给解决了,我能不知道假方法的“死穴”在那里吗?我能不知道她文章中的假图像只能如何产生的吗?我能不知道怎样用对照的片子上作多重标记来证明其文章假图像只能如此得来,因为我知道她们这些所谓标记鉴定实验方法的瓶颈在那里。而长时间以来,我作为继任她们研究项目的唯一研究员在与老板每周一次的一对一科研讨论时,从来不对其以前所做的Y FISH, Y/荧光免疫多重标记的结果表态,老板给脸色也罢,发气也罢(她有时急得对我说:你快把我逼疯了-drive me crazy!),我就是无话可说。因为你说好就好吧,干嘛非让我认可?实际上老板是以让我认可她们以前的“实验结果”这种方式逼我就范, 以前文章的漏洞太大,得有继任者去铺吧(这领域尽管己没人做了,但老板已拿了基金,所以还得做下去!)我刚一上任老板就给我许了很多大愿,她是真想让我给她长期干下去。殊不知我并不打算长干对她所许之愿也没兴趣,最多两年为她作出技术上的贡献以示回报(如果她没造假的话),尔后我再找个工作走人。况且2007年初当她两人让我用公鼠和她们的Y FISH方法做所谓的“Y丢失”课题时,我私下对老板说 了:“假如那天我真能将Y FISH方法的检测敏感度提高到90%...”再傻的老板也能听出我根本就没把她们的所谓具有100%检出率的Y FISH方法当真。所以老板十分清楚我在她们的实验方法和其“结果”的问题上是典型的揣着明白装糊涂,我只能以沉默的方式来坚守我的底线。因为一旦窗户纸点破,则老板必置我于“死地”这就是由利益冲突所决定的,也是我想尽力回避的:不到迫不得已,我决不亮剑。其实长时间以来我用行动向老板表明了我的底线,并一直好心规劝老板回头。可能很多读者均难理解我作为绝对弱势为何还得博奕讨说法,而不去另谋生计。

讲完下面的故事就好理解了。我与老板, Erica 三人之间的微妙关系:Erica 2006年夏刚作完 fellow,即成为肺内科的PI(Assistant Prof.),在耶鲁医学院是很难的,并被周围的人称为此领域的一颗新星(new rising star),说此人简直太牛 (不是神,也可算科研天才) 因为她进老板实验室作 fellow 时,就是一个肺内科医生。短短四年时间发表了多篇文章包括 Science(2004),生了两孩子,得了PhD 学位和大量的NIH基金。我听的人也觉的有点太牛,真是革命生产两不误!我刚进实验室时,老板就告诉我:从小鼠肺模型到实验方法(Y FISH,Y/荧光免疫多重标记) Erica 是最大的专家,以后我们得紧密合作,所有技术上的问题都找 Erica 解决。我很快即去 Erica 那里作礼节性拜访。结果大出意料! 我两进行了约40分钟谈话 。她很快直奔主题: 大骂我老板一通,从人品到业务水平均是一无是处。说老板抢其科研想法,干细胞肺模型这块领域是她所创下且获得大量基金,可我老板却霸着不放等等。并告诉我:她有篇文章被老板压了很长时间,经过抗争才得以发表。而老板的一篇大文章 (当时我不知她所指就是老板的 Cell 2001的文章,因我以前并不搞干细胞研究)则引起了整个学术界公愤,因无人能重复其结果,包括老板自已的团队。并劝我离开老板而加入其他实验室。我说:先干干再说。她又对我说:“你老板实验室的方法没一种工作,她团队的人根本就不知如何作实验。以后老板让你作任何实验,先来找我,我会告诉你正确的实验方法。如你按老板的实验方法做实验,只会浪费时间。”我只能说:谢谢,以后一定会多多请教。此人看过我的简历,知道我的技术背景。在并不了解我的立场情况下,如此赤裸裸的大骂我老板,并敢说方法学上的问题(她自已刚离开那实验室,并发表了多篇文章)。她的主题就是吓唬我离开。我不知她两人之间的个人恩怨,但感觉这实验室有些不对劲。如我的博文 (事件回放)所述,当我开始用她们的方法在对照样本上测试时,就发现那两个“秘密”:抗SPC抗体 (Chemicon, AB3428),Y FISH低检出率。其实这根本谈不上是秘密,这种形态学实验就得用眼睛看。Y FISH在公鼠样本上大百分之几十的阴性,不是漏检,还能是什么呢,而抗SPC抗体用的也是同一管,而且在阴,阳,空白对照上均有所谓的“阳性细胞”。只要不是傻子,任何科研人员均不难得出结论。而且这些技术均属我的强项技术范围。因为问题太严重,我是反复悄悄测试,结果依旧。以后又是让我在公鼠作“Y丢失”, Erica 在我们实验室显示用她们的Y FISH方法所做的“Y丢失实验结果”,我又将老板那篇 Cell 2001 文章, Stanford 团队在 Science 2002 文章及以后这两团队在 Science 期刊上的论战全读了一篇。当然明白了其Y FISH方法高漏检率秘密对老板的重要性,可以说这是她科研生涯的命根子。在不悖常理的情况下,得出一个可怕的推理结果。Erica 刚进实验室时也得用老板的实验方法在对照上学着做实验,她不可能不知道老板Y FISH方法高漏检率的问题,因为她必须得用公鼠样本作Y FISH实验。她知道老板 Cell 2001文章那档子事,包括与 Stanford 团队的论战,所以她非常明白其Y FISH方法高漏检率的秘密对老板的重要性。她以此作为把柄控制老板为她所用, 而且玩法比前辈更惊心动魄: 用低检出率Y FISH方法她玩出了一个“Y丢失理论”。这就完全解释了为何在四年的医学 fellow 训练期间就取得使人羡慕不已的傲人“成就”。这也解释了为何初次与我这外来的继任者会谈,居然敢明目张胆大骂她以前的老板,并毫无隐讳地告诉我:老板实验室的方法没一个工作(而她自已刚从那个实验室用同样的实验系统和实验方法发表了多篇文章!) 正如我在博文(实验系统和实验方法解释)中所讲:这是一个典型的反推模式证明系统;即用Y/荧光免疫多重标记的方法将所谓“阳性细胞”在宿主组织中标记或鉴定出来,再根据多重标记中所用的每个标志在逻辑上只能来源于供体鼠或受体鼠,而作出科学推论 (scientific deduction) - 这个“阳性细胞”只能来源于供体鼠的干细胞, 所有的中间过程无法也无需证明。也就是说在理论上,逻辑和科学推理上,这是一个非常简单明了的实验系统。 但是使用这样的实验系统就要求多重标记方法中的每一个“标志” 是真实的,并在对照上能得以确证其真实性。只要有一个标志不属实,则被鉴定或标记的所谓“阳性细胞”根本就不是那档子事,即所谓的“科研项目(project)”则什么都不是。老板团队所用的多滤片分别暴光的成像系统则在“可行性”给伪造假电子图像留下了巨大空间。详情请见我的博文:实验系统和实验方法解释。正因为此系统在推理上的简单明了:所有推理的基础完全建立在最后的多重标记的“鉴定结果-阳性细胞”的真实性上, 即作者让读者所能看到的“电子图像”,除了作者之外任何人均无法看到真正的实验结果-片子本身!所以如果作者想造假文章,则这是一个非常理想的造假系统: 可以做到多,快,好,省,因为只需显示最后结果-电子图像。但这也是一个风险非常高的造假系统, 因为所有的继任者都能轻易发现多重标记实验方法中的任何不属实“标志”。也就是每一位继任者都将对作者的既得利益构成威胁, 解除这种潜在威胁的唯一方法就是:让继任者也发表一篇假文章-大家同在贼船上而成为利益共同体! 2007年4月初老板将文章 FASEB(电子版) 电邮给实验室所有的人,我一看文章就惊呆了,因这正是我年初冒着暴露自已“明白”的风险想力劝老板别介入的事终究还是发生了。该文章一出,老板要的就是我的评价 (comment).在她办公室,先问我是否读了该文章, 然后直接了当要我评论。我只得说:“我这人不大喜欢评论别人的文章,尤其是实验结果, 这大概是我的个性吧”。老板知道我在回避。因为整个实验室只有我的项目与该文章有关。过了段时间,没人时她非常情绪化的对我说:“步根,我告诉你实话,我根本就不相信那篇文章,我恨那篇文章。你现在很忙,以后能否将那文章的所有实验帮我重复一遍?对该文你的看法到底怎样?”我只能说:“对不起,没看法 (I am sorry, I have no idea)”。其实老板要的就是我的态度, 因为这篇文章方法学上的“死 穴”我们三人均心知肚明:Y FISH 的低检出率,抗SPC (Chemicon, AB3428)根本就不工作- 这就决定了其文中逻辑推理前提为伪前提,而又有那一个Y FISH和Y/荧光免疫多重标记的“结果”是真呢? 整个一个彻头彻尾捏造的假文章。

注:我刚一发现抗体和Y FISH漏检率的问题,尽管当时尚未理清以前老板团队在其科研成就上到底是怎么回事(因为我当时所处环境,很难获得可靠的信息来源),但在已有的信息基础上不难作出判断: 这潭水深不可测,在我的“明白”被老板看出来之前得三十六计走为上计。已有确凿的信息:老板早已用那抗体和Y FISH方法发表文章,Erica 明白无误的敢告诉我老板的实验方法没一个工作想将我吓跑,我上任时老板就对我说出了她最大的心愿,也就是对我最大的期望- 帮她重复一个实验项目,我当时只提了一个非常具体的但不起眼的技术性(操作性)问题,她的回答无法使我满意(因为在这个细节方面我经历丰富,而那个问题在操作上很难保证完成),而这操作性问题不解决,则整个项目最后“结果”所代表的根本就不是“结论”中的那档子事! 她对我说: “现在你不必担心这项目,这是你五年以后的事,这项目只能由你抓总,实验室的所有资源都可由你调备,但实验检测,结果分析,和最后结论只能由你作出”(Erica 点出大文章那档子事后,我明白了原来老板是想让我在解决她团队所有的技术瓶颈后,再由我一个人在技术上帮她重复整个 Cell 2001 文章。 如我能用真方法得到真结果, 则老板这块“心病”彻底解除,并会让外界认为实验检测方法-protocols 是与以前没区别), 尔后给我许了一大堆愿。很快我得到一个面试机会,面试完后对方也明确告诉我: 在业务上我是最好的候选人。但随后的问题则为我的软肋:问我刚去耶鲁没多久,位子和研究领域看来均不错,为何就想离开?我只能回答: 想家了。尔后问我: 能否联系现任老板?我也只能说:不行。 我给了对方我以前老板的联系方式。结果可想而之,我无法道出离开的实情!但这就是我须面对的现实。我实在不敢趟这淌混水,我只能是尽量装糊涂,坚守底线, 赶快逃走。

作为绝对的弱势但我必须搏奕的理由就是:1.这是一个在科学技术层面非常容易打的假;2.别无选择。这假容易打下来的原因完全是作者自己造成的,即她们的造假方式:实验方法学上的造假- 用她们的方法是无法产生其文章中的所谓完美实验数据的。这种所谓完美结果只能蒙外人,而我则非常清楚她们所用的实验方法的缺陷在那里,并能以非常简单明了的对照实验一步证明。作者最大的秘密和核心缺陷就是其Y FISH方法的低检出率即高漏检率,当作者用此方法在其文章中写下阳性对照组- 野生型公鼠骨髓细胞的Y FISH实验数据:0.8 +/- 0.8 %的细胞缺乏Y染色体,即作者用其Y FISH方法在正常公鼠骨髓片子上将99%以上细胞标记成Y阳性时,就为其文章自掘坟墓。因为作者写下的这个“数据”不但远远超过其Y FISH方法的检出率,而且远超此类技术- 间期细胞Y FISH的技术瓶颈,无人的方法能在公鼠骨髓细胞片子上达99%的检出率。我只要检测你的方法本身,你调包记也没得玩。因为无包可让你调-这世上目前不存在能将公鼠骨髓细胞标记成99%的Y阳性的Y FISH方法(protocol),这可不象在所谓“内部方案”执行时对抗体 AB3428 还有包可调(请见我的博文:事件回放)。如将这种搏奕当作下棋,只要对方敢上场搏奕就是用对我不公平,不公正的游戏规则(如我让你调包),我不管对方坐的是谁(那怕是诺贝尔奖得主)他也输定了,对手所面对就是一局在科学技术上的死棋- 因为其必须翻过的坎是将99%以上的公鼠骨髓细胞用Y FISH标记成Y阳性。一旦作者Y FISH 方法的高漏率暴光(即在公鼠骨髓细胞片子上留下大百分之几十的细胞被标记成Y阴性)则对作者相关文章中的相关Y FISH“实验结果”就是灭顶之灾- 多米诺骨牌效应马上开始(详情请见我的博文:实验系统和实验技术的解释)。所以作者也罢,任何想掩盖此谎谬科研造假案的人也罢, 要避免输这场由非常简单的科学技术所决定胜负的搏奕只能是不上场,而玩一场“本法庭不受理此案”的游戏!为何我是别无选择?因为老板非常明白一点:我知道太多太多的“秘密”,一旦确认我不“合作”则对作者有意伪造实验结果而言是灭顶之灾,对方为了自身利益必置我于“死地“。我老板确实也是这么干的。2008年3月份自从所谓“内部方案”上台面,老板一方面想让我放她一马,另一方面则在外面将我从头到脚彻底抹黑,而不会给以科研作为职业和饭碗的我留下生存空间。我对作者的既得利益所构成的威胁实在太大,因为我可以在逻辑,科学技术上非常简单明了证明作者有意伪造的实验结果并证得滴水不漏,使任何各方无话可说。别看此案目前我只打击公鼠骨髓Y FISH数据,证明作者别的假结果也很容易。例如文章 FASEB Vol.21 August 2007,p.2592-2601.图4A,4B p.2597 是100%的假图像,而根本就不是如作者在图文解释中所说的 “结果”,此图说:这是来源于接受了公鼠骨髓移的母鼠模型的肺细胞片子,作者做了X,Y FISH (标记X,Y染色体DNA,X FISH的实验原理和Y FISH一样,是FITC标记的X 探针-为混合物而分段标记X染色体DNA) 和抗CK荧光免疫多重标记,作者发现了由干细胞(公鼠XY)变成的肺上皮细胞并发生了与宿主细胞(母鼠XX)的融合并且这融合的细胞还发生了Y染色体的丢失。这里作者所用的逻辑推理前提有二个:1.作者的X FISH和Y FISH方法均具有100%的检出率(做X,Y标记的实验和Y FISH 一样,只是在加探针时加两种探针而已); 2.胞核中一条X染色体必产生一个X点信号,Y也是一样,即每个母细胞必为2点X信号,每个公细胞必为1点Y和1点X信号。由于X,Y探针均为分段在其互补序列杂交,所以根本不存在一个信号对应一条染色体的关系。这是由其实验原理所决定的。例如,在任何一个公鼠细胞Y FISH 以后会出现三种可能:无Y信号(漏检),一个Y信号,多个Y信号,而任何一个母鼠细胞在X FISH以后会出现以下几种可能:无X信号(2条X染色体均漏检),一个X信号(有1条X染色体被漏检),二个X信号(并不一定说明这2个X信号分别位于2条不同的X染色体DNA分子上,也可以位于同一X染色体DNA分子上,这是FISH实验原理所决定的),三个或以上X信号(关于Y FISH原理的详情请见我的博文:实验系统和实验技术解释)。这里我只需用 X,Y信号就可以一步证明作者这两张图是假结果,这是一个典型的只能显“点”而不能显“面”的假货,这是从全景图像上“摘”下的点,在全景图上作者绝对不能让人看到的细胞是:既无X又无Y信号的细胞,而且这种细胞还占一定比例,这是由其FISH方法的低检出率所决定的,光这一点就证明作者有意造假,因为她明明看到了这种既无X又无Y信号的“裸细胞”还敢伪造以上二个逻辑推理前提。连前提都不存在,作者所证明的融合加Y丢失均是不存在的。更可怕的是:这图像很可能就是来源于公鼠的肺细胞片子而不是作者所说的模型母鼠,因为作者FISH的检出率低,就是按作者自已的说法:干细胞在肺中变为肺细胞的概率也小于千份之一,所以用其低检出率的FISH方法而在模型母鼠样本上标记出一个带有多点X和多点Y信号的由公鼠干细胞变来的肺细胞的概率实在太小。我只须看一眼那张含几十个细胞的全景图像就知道是否来源于公鼠,只要还有另一个或多个Y阳性细胞,则这图像只能是公鼠的肺细胞片子,而根本就不是所谓模型母鼠肺。即这里作者最有可能就是玩一简单的调包计,其FISH方法的检出率太低也成了其伪造假图像的技术瓶颈。如必须显示Y FISH以后的图像作为“实验结果”的证据,这也是作者只能玩的把戏:即从所示图像中无人能区别这图像是来源于真的性别相反的模型鼠,还是普通的非模型公鼠,但一看全景图像就知道了,也就是说这种显示图像的方式就是有悖常理的。不过作者也是没办法,她们必须隐瞒真相,否则无法发表此类假文章。

2008年11月初我再次向美国政府监管机构(ORI)举报此案。在8月份举报此案时我已将作者2008年3月6日那封电子邮件寄给了ORI。这次举报只打击作者的用于骨髓细胞片子的Y FISH 方法和其所产生的阳性对照组的数据,我的依据:作者的方法是无法产生此“完美数据”的(即原因与我给耶鲁提供的一样,详情请见我的博文:“耶鲁的调查”)。我要求该办公室调查此案,并看看在已拷贝的硬盘中是否存在与作者“完美的Y FISH数据”相对应的原始图像,将已被耶鲁收走的我的相关记录本保存在ORI。

这组数据的重要性; 如为伪造则证明: 1.作者文章中所用的逻辑推理前提都是有意伪造的,即不存在的;2.该方法的阳性对照组的数据是有意伪造的;这两条都是伪造,这篇科研文章还有那一点是真的呢? 3.彻底暴露作者多年在其Y FISH方法上所隐瞒的秘密:低检出率即高漏检率。并且在科学技术层面无人能解这组数据之围- 此数据远超该种技术的瓶颈!ORI的本职工作就是代表美国政府监管学术道德的,我就用这组数据来检验这办公室是否能做到公平,公正。

这里我上传一张我2009年2月实验验证作者Y FISH方法标记的正常公鼠骨髓细胞的图像(在我的博文“图解”中有更多图像和解释)。作者2008年3月6日电子邮件,我给ORI的举报信。因我写博文较慢,过几天才能写完下一部分,多谢关注。

 

----- Forwarded message from Erica Herzog <erica.lyndrup@yale.edu> -----
    Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:51:55 -0500
    From: Erica Herzog <erica.lyndrup@yale.edu>
Reply-To: Erica Herzog <erica.lyndrup@yale.edu>
Subject: slides
      To: bugen.hu@yale.edu

hi bugen

i left the slides and results for you on the bench. were they in any way
correct? i never was able to get pro-spc to work with fish because of the
autofluor but if you are able to that's great. i always did prospc first and
detected that way so the signal was really bright and then did fish after doing
confocal. your control looked nice and like real signal. the few experimental
cells that i saw that were possibly spc+ didn't look exactly like the control.

anyway let me know how this compared with your results

also since my lab cannot seem to get fish to work diane said you guys would be
willing to collaborate if i gave you some slides for staining - if so can i
bring you the slides sometime soon?

best,


erica

Erica Herzog MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Yale University School of Medicine
Internal Medicine - Pulmonary and Critical Care Division
333 Cedar St TAC 441-S
New Haven CT 06511
(203)785-3207


----- End forwarded message -----

 

注:她问我她的判片结果怎样(看了我的实验样本片)?她不能将Y/SPC双标记方法搞工作的原因是其Y FISH方法本身和抗SPC抗体 (Chemicon, AB3428) 本身不工 作。对于这种Y/荧光免疫多重标记方法的有关详情,请见我的博文:实验系统和实验技术的解释。autofluor (自发荧光)总是存在的, 这根本就不是她的双标记方法 不工作的原因!在实验方法学上此人一贯狡辩。其 Y/SPC 标记的方法都不工作, 但敢在文章 FASEB 2007 中将此双标记结果写成1000 分之1000的双阳性 (8只野生型公鼠肺石蜡切片 表-2 p.2596). 她所说其 lab 不能将FISH搞工作, 应该是指很 高的漏检率。当时她已不敢再对我说她们的 Y FISH100%出率了, 因为她 还等着我帮她一把。请见她 2007618,19 电邮, 看她们当时是怎样说她们的同一Y FISH方法的。

当时她应该还不知道我老板已将我逼到死角, 我已别无选择, 准备打假了, 否则她不会给我送这电子邮件。

----- Forwarded message from Diane Krause <diane.krause@yale.edu> -----
    Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:32:54 -0400
    From: Diane Krause <diane.krause@yale.edu>
Reply-To: Diane Krause <diane.krause@yale.edu>
Subject: Re: Y loss in males
      To: Erica Herzog <erica.lyndrup@yale.edu>

What % of the male into male transplants were Y-?  At this point
Bugen is using cytospins.  So far, he's only done older transplanted
and untransplanted SPC-/- and untransplanted WT males.  So far, with
cytospins, we never see >20% without a Y.

Diane


On Jun 18, 2007, at 9:29 PM, Erica Herzog wrote:

> age matched but not irradiated
> truly less than 1% were Y neg unlike the male into male transplants
> how old are his mice - are they the old ones for the Y loss project
> also depending on fixation, size of probe, length of
> permeablization etc there
> can be issues.   depending on the PFA strength, age of reagents
> there can be
> big issues. how is his X staining?
>
>
>
>> Hi Erica
>>
>> In rereading the FASEB paper, I see that we don't have the % of SPC+
>> cells in males that are Y- by confocal. Did you do this with any
>> males?  If so, were they age-matched or younger?  I am concerned that
>> we don't know the sensitivity of the assay to detect for Y loss after
>> cell fusion.  Bugen is seeing epithelial cells have no Y on lung
>> cytospins from male mice.
>>
>> Thanks for any info that you have.
>>
>> Diane
>> --
>>
>>
>> Diane Krause MD, PhD
>> Yale University School of Medicine
>> Associate Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine
>> PO Box 208035
>> New Haven, CT  06520-8035
>>
>> Phone:  (203) 688-4829
>> Fax:  (203) 688-2748
>> Office: BML 462
>>
>> Administrative Associate, Pat Sember:  (203) 688-3265
>> Pager: (203) 412-0805
>> Krauselab website:
>> http://info.med.yale.edu/labmed/faculty/labs/krauselab/index.html
>>
>>
>
>
> Erica Herzog MD, PhD
> Assistant Professor
> Yale University School of Medicine
> Internal Medicine - Pulmonary and Critical Care Division
> 333 Cedar St TAC 441-S
> New Haven CT 06511
> (203)785-3207
>


----- End forwarded message -----

注:这是老板看了我用自己的Y/CK 多重标记方法所做的公小鼠肺细胞片子后, 她与  Erica 间就所谓Y FISH方法的电子邮件, 但有意转给我。她两人在Y FISH 方法漏率的问题我演双簧, 其实就是想逼我将我所做的公小鼠肺细胞上的 Y漏检, Y丢失的结论。 老板已知道我当时刚建好的多重标记方法已 突破了她们文章 FASEB 2007 中方法的技, 想让我用自己的方法做出Y丢失 的结果去 掩盖文章中谎谬 的Y丢失结果和结论。两人装着一副好象不知道她们的Y FISH 方法有漏似的 (因她们总是说其Y FISH方法具有100%检出率)。 我当然是装 糊涂, 对这种双簧毫无反应, 所以老板也拿我没办法。请见 Erica 200836给我的电子邮件, 看她是如何说她们的Y  FISH方法。

老板说: 步根在公鼠肺细胞片子上已看到CK阳性但Y阴性的细胞(其实就是Y检) 也应该是警示 Erica: 其实我已知道她们的秘密只是不说而已。 这里 Erica   的所谓解释在技术上均是一派胡言。

 

                                                                                    Bugen Hu

                                                                                    Yale Stem Cell Center

                                                                                    Yale University

                                                                                    10 Amistad St

                                                                                    New Haven, CT 06519

 

                                                                                    August 10, 2008

 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Research Integrity

1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750

Rockville, Maryland 20852

 

 

Dear Sir or Madam:

 

Please keep this communication confidential. My name is Bugen Hu, associate research scientist in Dr. Diane Krause’s lab at Yale Stem Cell Center. I am writing to you to formally report important issues regarding serious research integrity of Dr. Diane Krause and Dr. Erica Herzog at Yale School of Medicine, which involve multiple scientific research papers published by Drs. Krause and Herzog.

 

I reported my scientific concerns to the Director, Yale Stem Cell Center in late November, 2007. In late Feb. 2008 I was forced to open my mouth during the weekly one to one meeting with my PI, Dr. Diane Krause. In April, 2008 I had a confidential meeting with Dr. Linda Mayes, special adviser to the Dean, Yale School of Medicine. After the meeting I prepared a draft of statement (more than 9 pages). Before submitting my statement to the Special Office, I carefully evaluated the situation, which made me change my original plan (a lot of things related to the issue I raised happened from mid of March to early of May, 2008). Instead, I decided just to give the special office 2 and half page statement. After submitting my statement I have had multiple confidential meetings with that special office. Based on my own judgment, Yale University has been playing dirt political game with me. I can not trust them anymore. It seems to me that Yale University tries to cover up this scandal because of huge impact of this scandal politically and scientifically. Based on my own scientific and technique judgment Dr. Diane Krause’s team even did not firmly identify a single tissue type cell that was derived from bone marrow stem cells (adult stem cell), not mention the studies of mechanisms of such events (basically the experimental protocols did not work, but keep publishing papers). My PI knew that I got all these experimental protocols worked. Since April, 2008, she tried all the possible excuse in order to obtain my protocols and technique information. Several months ago I sent an email to the authority that I will not release any related scientific and technique information to any people until the scientific issues I raised is completely solved even I will be fired.

 

Enclosed please find the following documents:

 

  1. Timeline.
  2. Two and half page statement I submitted to the Special Office, Yale School of Medicine.
  3. My original nine and half page draft of statement.
  4. Several copies of emails involving Dr. Diane Krause, Dr. Erica Herzog, the director, and me.

 

Finally, I request that:

 

  1. I can have a confidential face to face meeting in your office (I plan to go home in Maryland during the Labor Day week).
  2. I can place my related notebooks sealed in your office because I worry about safety of my notebooks at Yale.

 

I can be reached via email: bugen_hu@yahoo.com or cell phone: 301-318-5055.

 

Thank you for your attention.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bugen Hu

 

 

                                                                                    Bugen Hu

                                                                                    Yale Stem Cell Center

                                                                                    Yale University

                                                                                    10 Amistad St.

                                                                                    New Haven, CT 06519

 

                                                                                    Nov. 1, 2008

 

Dr. John E. Dahlberg

Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Research Integrity

1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750

Rockville, MD 20852

 

 

Dear Dr. Dahlberg:

 

Thank you for your reply dated as September 4, 2008. I received this letter on September 11, 2008 (on my desk instead of my mail box). Please keep this communication confidential, I do not want the information in this communication to be leaked to the Yale authority (I can be contacted via my personal email: bugen_hu@yahoo.com). Now I formally report the case regarding intentional fabrication of scientific research papers by Dr. Diane Krause, and Dr. Erica Herzog.

 

I found that the experimental methods used in Dr. Krause and Dr. Herzog’s labs did not work, and first formally reported to Dr. Haifan Lin, the Director of Yale Stem Cell Center in late Nov. 2007. To my best knowledge if the experimental methods can not get the positive control and negative control work, there is no way for authors to obtain any real scientific experimental results (either positive data or negative data). So the issues I have raised here is not the issues of scientific discrepancy between the results of the authors’ papers and others, including my experimental results, but the fundamental problems of the papers, i.e. their experimental methods did not work. The only way to prove this is pure scientific way: verify the authors’ published experimental protocols by the real neutral 3rd party using positive control and negative control, it is very simple and straight forward to obtain the clear answer, but not political game of “I say, they say or who says”.

 

I decide to solve the issues I raised step by step, now I provide you with a little detailed evidence of the authors intentional fabricating the experimental results:

 

The paper (FASEB 2007) p.2594, in the section of “Bone marrow engraftment is similar among transplant recipients”: All the number of bone marrow engraftment generated by interphase Y FISH of bone marrow cytospins are 100% fabricated number, not experimental data at all. The reasons:

Each experimental method has its own limitation, including its detection sensitivity, and application area. Here the numbers presented in the paper are much far away beyond the method can reach. For example, the authors state “These Y chromosome counts differed from untransplanted male WT and sp-C null controls, which contained occasional cells that lacked the Y chromosome (0.8+/- 0.8%, P<0.001, 0.92+/-1.03, P<0.001)”. That means that the authors did positive control (male WT and sp-C null, 16 mice per group) bone marrow cytospins interphase Y FISH, and checked thousands of BM cells per slide under fluorescent microscope, and saw almost all the cells in their nuclei there is Y signal (average only 1-2 nuclei per 100 nuclei without Y signal). To my best knowledge currently in this world no one’s interphase Y FISH can even reach 90% detection sensitivity level on mice bone marrow cytospin, not mention the protocol of Dr. Krause and Dr. Herzog (far away from this number), and please refer to the email sent to me by Dr. Erica Herzog on March 6, 2008 (I enclosed in my mail to your office on August 11, 2008). Most likely the real situation is that the authors did not do these mice bone marrow cytospin interphase Y FISH at all. On September 11, 2008, I was told by Dr. Linda Mayes that Dr. Herzog could not find any notebook or original records related to her FASEB 2007 paper. As far as I know that all the experimental images of Dr. Krause and Herzog’ s related papers should be saved in the computer external hard driver (several hundreds G) hooked to the lab’s fluorescent microscope. If the authors really did the BM cytospin interphase Y FISH (more than 60 mice), the electronic images of these Y FISH should be in the Hard driver, your office should have authority to examine the Hard driver to see if there are any such electronic images existing in the Hard driver. The final prove of my allegation is just a 2-day simple, and straight forward experiment: interphase Y FISH on male WT and sp-C null BM cytospin strictly following their published protocol, next day the judger will see after Y FISH what percentage of BM cells still retained on the slides, and what percentage of BM cell nuclei are Y positive, then the answer will be very clear. That’s why for months I repeatedly told the Yale authority (including Dr. Haifan Lin and Dr. Linda Mayes) that it is very easy and straight forward to obtain the truth by verifying the authors’ experimental protocols using positive and negative control IF you really want to know the truth. Political game of “I say, they or who says” will never prove anything.

 

Now I formally request:

  1. Real investigation on the issue of mice bone marrow cytospin interphase Y FISH directly conducted by the Office of Research Integrity.
  2. My related notebooks be sealed and stored in the Office of Research Integrity until all the issues I have raised are completely solved.

 

After the issue regarding bone marrow cytospin Y FISH is solved by real investigation and the experimental protocol verification, I will provide the more detailed evidence regarding the issues of fake images of the paper (FASEB 2007, and other papers), immunofluorescent staining of pro-spc using Chemicon anti-pro-SPC Ab (AB3428),Dr. Krause, and Dr. Herzog’s published experimental protocols of Y FISH combined with anti cytokeratin immunofluorescent staining, Y FISH combined anti-pro-SPC immunofluorescent staining, Y FISH combined with anti-CK and anti-CD45, Y FISH combined with anti-pro-SPC and anti-CD45, and Y FISH alone on different tissues paraffin section and cytospin. The above issues cover all the papers of Dr. Krause, and Dr. Herzog in the research area of developmental plasticity of adult stem cell (bone marrow derived stem cells). I hope that the issues will be solved by real investigation conducted by the Office of Research Integrity one at a time.

 

Finally, I would like to provide you with the factor: up to now Dr. Krause’s lab can not get Y FISH combined with anti-CK, or Y FISH combined with anti-spc immunofluorescent staining working even using Dr Krause, and Dr. Herzog’s most updated experimental protocols, not mention the triple staining (Y FISH with anti-CK and ant-CD45, Y FISH with anti-SPC and anti-CD45). Note: I do not count my protocols as Dr. Krause’s protocols.

 

I also enclose a copy of the letter from Dr. Robert Alpern, the Dean of Yale School of Medicine. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bugen Hu

 

 

 




https://m.sciencenet.cn/blog-352870-291826.html

上一篇:我在耶鲁举报科研造假案的经历之“耶鲁的调查”
下一篇:敢问耶鲁: 你的学术道德底线在那里?你的公平, 公正, 和价值观是什么?

2 武夷山 郭磊

发表评论 评论 (0 个评论)

数据加载中...
扫一扫,分享此博文

Archiver|手机版|科学网 ( 京ICP备07017567号-12 )

GMT+8, 2024-5-30 08:44

Powered by ScienceNet.cn

Copyright © 2007- 中国科学报社

返回顶部