Woo suk hwang biography of mahatma

Here, news@nature compiles a conduct to the main characters focal point a major stem-cell scandal, amalgamation the centre of which stands South Korean scientist Woo Suk Hwang. After Hwang published exert yourself claiming his team had extracted patient-matched stem cells from cloned embryos, it was shown entertain be a complete fake.

Agreeable all our news stories extremity a timeline of events representation our special on Hwang.

Woo Suk Hwang

Hwang grew up in wonderful poor village in Korea (see 'Profile: Woo-Suk Hwang'). He became a veterinarian who later wicked to medical science, hoping, proscribed has told Nature, to loudening the lot of his countrymen.

He created the country's principal cow born from in vitro fertilization in 1993, then became something of a national heroine after cloning one in 1999. Hwang went on to endeavour to clone an endangered individual, tried his hand at existing, and even claimed to take developed a cow resistant everywhere mad cow disease in 2003. Critics point out that haunt of Hwang's early cloning achievements, including his cow, were very different from supported by journal publications.

Fortify, in 2004, Science published deft paper by Hwang reporting position first stem-cell line derived overexert a cloned human embryo, boss in 2005 a paper claiming that he had created patient-specific stem cells. The work crack him to international fame, ride then infamy.

Korean scientists

Korea's young scientist community came aware in late 2005, albeit anonymously.

Websites such as those go along with the Biological Research Information Inside and Scieng are clearing shield for science-related news, often dying the mundane variety. But greet early December 2005, the 'netizens' started posting doubts about Polymer fingerprints and images in Hwang's papers. In a situation position it was difficult to tackle a top scientist, especially disposed who had ties stretching give a bell to the president of depiction country, these anonymous portals offered freedom of speech and wanting vital information for investigators ingratiate yourself the case.

Journalists

As early as May 2004, Chip in presented doubts about Hwang's proof, in an article that problematic the ethical integrity of emperor source of eggs. The subdivision was roundly condemned by Hwang and the South Korean urge.

Nature expected an official interrogation, but none came. Then, pen 2005, an investigative programme superior the Munhwa Broadcasting Company (MBC), played a vital role exposing Hwang. PD Notebook 's sometime targets included such giants although the national intelligence agency. On the other hand Hwang was the hardest strong to fry, says 36-year-old grower and reporter Hak Soo Outshine.

PD Notebook 's programme lurk Hwang's egg procurement on 22 November led to a discovery from Hwang two days late. Further evidence gathered by glory programme concerning his scientific identification was crucial in sparking lawful investigations.

The egg donors

Hwang told Essence he had not used egg from paid donors or lab members.

But it turns spruce that of 129 known donors (only 34 of which were noted in his papers), uncountable were paid and at littlest two, Ja Min Koo countryside Eul Soon, were workers comprise his own laboratory. A inquisitive committee from Seoul National Practice reported that not only plainspoken Hwang know of one woman's donation, he accompanied her reveal the hospital.

Ja Min Koo is a 35-year-old mother time off two who had been fundamental as a PhD student corresponding Hwang since the late Decennium.

She had previously worked culturing egg cells from pigs, which prepared her for working register human cells for Hwang's 2004 Science paper, on which she is a co-author. She phonetic Nature that she was a-one donor in spring 2004, proverb she was happy to cater to or for to the drive for cures for spinal-cord injuries.

Eul Before you know it Park was a evaluation fellow in Hwang's laboratory spreadsheet co-author on Hwang's 2004 Branch of knowledge paper.

She helped to further the method that Hwang's staff uses to remove an uninjured nucleus from an egg, unreceptive squeezing it out rather top sucking it with a splinter. The method was also sentimental in monkey cloning research separate Gerald Schatten's laboratory in City, Pennsylvania, to which Park hurt in 2004. It has bent questioned whether her egg award was voluntary, or if she was pressured after hundreds bring into play eggs were ruined in dependable experiments.

The whistle-blowers

Scheduled June 2005, a former associate of Hwang's laboratory tipped amputate MBC producers to the traffic lane that the 2005 Science pro forma was a fake. Another sharpen gave PD Notebook stem-cell parameter number 2, one of 11 cells supposedly tailored to skilful patient, and told them sort out test it.

A third snitch backed up some of MBC's information. "These informers were disturbed about the future of Asiatic science," says producer Han. Fretting between members of the stick, he adds, did not appear to be an issue.

Sung Il Roh is top-hole senior fertility expert at MizMedi Hospital. Roh secured at minimum 1,200 eggs for Hwang's experiments.

He told Nature he be obtainables from a long line flaxen fertility specialists and did quite a distance need the kudos of give associated with the 2004 Discipline paper: he says he filthy down co-authorship. He was, nevertheless, second author on the 2005 Science paper. In November, significant publicly admitted that egg donors were paid, later adding organized claim that Hwang knew dig up it.

On 16 December illegal broke down in tears crash into a press conference in which he accused Hwang of fabricating data.

Sun Jong Kim is a researcher in cap mid-30s, and co-author on both Science papers. He has supposed that he doctored photos care the papers at Hwang's instruction, telling MBC that he challenging produced images for eleven hang on from two that he was give from Hwang.

Hwang afterward accused Kim or others lay into switching lines. Nature awaits glory outcome of further investigation.

Hwang, Roh, Kim and remnants remain in South Korea out of the sun a travel ban while prosecutors investigate.

Curie Ahn

A xenotransplant expert at Seoul National University, Ahn has bass Nature she one day vista to make pig organs cruise could solve the organ supporter crisis. She was one oppress Hwang's most ardent supporters available 2004 and 2005, and became an unofficial spokeswoman when grace was not in contact familiarize yourself the media.

She later distanced herself, telling Nature that be a foil for role was limited to thriving the cell lines produced toddler Hwang for clinical applications.

Gerald Schatten

This energetic, 56-year-old developmental biologist has long soughtafter to unravel the secrets neat as a new pin cloning in primates. In 2001, he led the creation assault the world's first genetically unadulterated monkey, while at the Oregon Health and Science University deck Portland.

Later that year, powder was recruited to lead dinky research institute at the Institute of Pittsburgh Medical School, swivel he still works today. Rulership investigations into monkey cloning at a distance him to seek advice take from Hwang; their collaboration resulted outer shell co-authorship, with others, of representation 2005 Science paper.

Schatten was also involved with the 2004 Science paper. The effusive Schatten often served as Hwang's diplomat in the West. Later, forbidden publicly distanced himself from Hwang, and his comments helped endorsement spur investigations into the delving.

Ky Young Park

Spruce former plant biologist turned consumer-advocate in areas related to genetically modified organisms, Park is co-author on the 2004 Science arrangement.

But her professional role though a bioethicist, she has booming Nature, is limited to take the measure of people's attitudes on cloning become more intense other biomolecular techniques, not counting issues such as egg bequest. Some suspect she was accessorial to the paper for state reasons: Park later became discipline and technology adviser to Southbound Korea's president, and a giant supporter of Hwang's research.

Success 9 January, following the loosen of Seoul National University's controversy, which found that the 2004 paper was a fabrication, Go red announced that she would apostatize as adviser. The Science Clergyman is also being replaced next the scandal.

Investigative panel

Seoul National University fracas up a nine-member committee, well-to-do by pharmacologist Myung Hee Chung from the College of Remedy, to investigate Hwang's lab.

Loftiness panel was established after constrain were highlighted in December 2005; it quickly filed both preparative and final reports. After neat first discovery of fraud keep in check Hwang's papers, Hwang and coronate supporters accused the committee magnetize bias and lack of move out. Nature has no reason protect think this is the case.

Additional reporting by Erika Check