The controversial STAP stem cell papers published in Nature had authors both from RIKEN in Japan and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard. What is the RIKEN interim take on the STAP cell situation? We’ve had pretty much silence from Harvard itself on this matter publicly. Dr. Charles Vacanti, senior author on one of the STAP papers, …
I’m a seismologist at the University of Tokyo, where I’ve been since 1984. I was the first tenured foreign faculty member in the history of our university. If you look at my publication list on the Researcher ID site you can see that my main research recent interests are modeling seismic wave propagation and analyzing …
Seismologist from Japan looks at the STAP cells mess Read More »
Will a few of the “elite” of the research world be on the wrong side of history when it comes to STAP cells? It seems some don’t want people talking about just how bad the STAP situation might be. Bad news may travel fast as the expression goes, but the people who talk about it may …
STAP coverage ruffles some ‘elite’ stem cell feathers Read More »
A host of problems have emerged related to the two Nature papers on STAP cells and other publications by some of the same authors. It’s only been just shy of 6 weeks since these papers came out, but doesn’t it feel like about 5 years? Where will this all end? (update in 2020: closer to …
Beginning of End for STAP Cell Story? Possible Outcomes Read More »
The STAP stem cell saga is like something out of a soap opera. Maybe we should call it “As the Stem Cell World Turns”. See the little green STAP spheres at right and imagine them turning like little worlds. One of the best pieces I’ve read on STAP was today’s article by Cynthia Fox at …
Are the Nature STAP stem cell papers compromised? Could Nature‘s investigation conclude with something as serious as retraction or rather a mild slap on the wrist? Somewhere in between? (note you may find this update post from 2020 to be of interest: Whatever happened to the STAP cell scientists including Haruko Obokata?) Why is this question …
A new article in the major Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, just came out suggest major intellectual property (IP) and patent issues related to stem cells including the new stress induced STAP stem cells. The piece is entitled provocatively enough “Global patent war looms with epoch-making discovery of STAP cells“. That’s strong language. The article begins …
Big patent & IP implications or even ‘war’ from STAP stem cells? Read More »
Eight years ago two new Nature papers broke on the scene reporting supposed STAP cells with one of the senior authors, Charles Vacanti of Harvard, most well known previously for making the so-called “Vacanti mouse” along with his brother Joseph. The Vacanti mouse had a bioengineered human ear growing on its back. While STAP cells …
Recommended reads: Dux, 3D printed ear brings Vacanti mouse to mind, AMD, more Read More »
STAP is back? Really? No, I don’t believe so, but there’s an interesting development and twist on the STAP cell front. Just a few days ago on January 4, 2017 Dr. Charles Vacanti, the originator of the STAP cells concept, submitted a declaration to the USPTO affirming the belief that STAP cells are real and requesting that …
STAP cells (stap細胞) are real deal says new Vacanti patent declaration Read More »
Sometimes a situation is so bad or stressful that it just calls out for some comic relief and the STAP cell mess seems to be one of those. Below are various silly attempts at STAP humor to hopefully release some of that stress. (By the way you might enjoy this 2020 piece on whatever happened to …
TGIF! Some attempts at humor to release STAP cell stress Read More »