Leading Japanese scientist hanged himself because of the scientific scandal – Lenta.ru

One of the leading Japanese scientists, 52-year-old Yoshiki Sasana (Yoshiki Sasai), co-author of controversial works on stem cells, found dead, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing the Japanese police. Researcher committed suicide.

Yoshiki Szasz was Deputy Director of the Center for Biological Development, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN, Kobe). He was one of the authors of a study published in January in the scientific journal Nature. In two studies, setting out “sensational results”, stated that scientists were able to create a revolutionary method of obtaining stem cells by placing them in an acidic environment. The first author of the article – Obakata Haruko (Haruko Obokata), works closely with Szasz – called these cells STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency).

Articles provoked widespread discussion and a wave of criticism. There are reports of forgery: PR office RIKEN launched test results with independent experts from other academic institutions. Attracted researchers found in the publications of the signs of manipulation of figures and use the same image twice.

In June, the Commission for the Investigation of the scientific scandal, organized by the Center RIKEN, demanded punishment for Obakata and its leaders, including the Sasana. Biological Center in Kobe was asked to disband. In July, the journal Nature has withdrawn the employer indicating that they contain inaccurate information, as well as other errors that put research findings into question.

Despite a wave of criticism, the lead author of the study Obokata continued to insist that the errors in the drawings were made inadvertently and that it does not change the main result: STAP cells can be obtained in this way. As stated at a press conference in April Yoshiki Szasz, despite the fact that the work should be withdrawn in light of the problems come to light, some of the data can not be explained without assuming the existence of a new type of stem cell.

Yoshiki Szasz was found by security guards in the morning August 5. Scientific hung on a string in the building RIKEN center in Kobe. Were also found suicide notes: on the table of the Secretary and at the scene. They scientist says that feels a sense of shame and regret and apologizes for this work.

Yoshiki Szasz was born in 1962, graduated from Kyoto University. In 1993, received the degree of PhD. He worked at the university, then, in 2003, he joined the Center for Biological Development, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), which in 2013 was appointed deputy director.