U.S. Stem Cell Scientists Responds to Accusations

According to Korea Times, Gerald Schatten has responded to questions from the Seoul National University regarding his role in the Hwang Woo-suk debacle. Schatten, a University of Pittsburgh stem-cell scientist, was co-author on two papers that came out of the Korean lab on research that turned out to be faked.

In their efforts to question Schatten over his role in the fabrications and why he bid farewell to Hwang, prosecutors sent 136 questions to him in February. Schatten said he would only cooperate in the probe by e-mail.

Schatten claimed he had not known about the fabrication until suspicions were raised at the end of last year, according to the prosecution. He also said he helped write the papers using materials and data Hwang’s team sent.

Regarding the allegation he proposed Hwang push ahead with publishing the paper in Science, even after learning stem cell lines No. 4-7 were destroyed from contamination at Hwang’s lab, Schatten claims he proposed publication believing there were replica cell lines.

Several news outlets have also accused Schatten of stealing the Korean's cloning method.

Schatten has rarely spoken to the press since he broke ties with Hwang in Nobember of last year.