Cheating scientist shames a nation

Cheating scientist shames a nation

A shocked nation is reacting in anger at the shame that tainted scientist Hwang Woo-suk brought for the nation. Hwang was once raised to the pedestal of a national hero after he claimed to have cloned humans in 2004.

A panel on Thursday seems to have delivered the last nail in his coffin of infamy when they said they had found no data to back the landmark study he had done with none of the samples that were taken from Hwang's lab seemed to have been tailored embryonic stem cells as the scientist had claimed in a paper published in the US Journal of Science.

The team is now investigating whether Hwang had even managed to clone human embryo's as he had claimed in 2004. The panel commented last week that the recent paper published in the US journal of Science, had been faked deliberately by Hwang's team, thus undermining the fundamentals on which science and scientific research is based.

The whole nation is crying fraud and baying for strict punishment for the scientist.

Hwang, meanwhile, had resigned from his university position last week tendering his apology. While doing so he had claimed the patient-tailored embryonic stem cells were done by technology developed by South Korea and that this would definitely be confirmed by tests.

The nation reacted in shock since he shattered expectations of his country men of putting South Korea on the scientific map with this breakthrough that was expected to find cures for many a illnesses. At that time Hwang's research was expected to fulfil the basic promise of embryonic stem cell research, that of genetically growing tissues that could be used to replace or even repair damaged organs of the body, including curing ailments like spinal cord injures.

Hwang had claimed that using an animal cloning technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, he could clone human embryos.

His comments generated lot of interest in the scientific community since it seemed as if what he claimed could be done in theory. Besides, he also claimed to have developed a technique to produce patient-specific stem cells in efficient manner.

Hwang's fall from grace will now cause a lot of scientists over the world to approach the research in cloning with caution and suspicion.

Koreans have stated that Hwang had raised hopes of a lot of people suffering from serious and otherwise incurable illnesses. They all feel cheated after the expose.

Hwang reached the peak of fame when in October patients who called to donate tissue samples for studies, jammed computer servers and telephone lines.

His support went declining beginning November after he admitted to ethical lapses while gathering human eggs for research. Few supporters meanwhile decided to stand by him till the end.

While his die-hard fan were still hoping and praying for the best, the Seoul National University panel said it has not yet reach a conclusion over the claims and was still analysing DNA tests of the dog Hwang is claimed to have cloned.