munich

A laboratory head and one of his technicians resigned last week from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding in Cologne, following accusations of scientific misconduct involving the manipulation of experimental results. The laboratory in question works on the hormonal control of cell division in plants.

The case is the first test of the Max Planck Society's new rules governing the investigation of cases of scientific misconduct. The rules were approved by the society's senate late last year (see Nature 390, 430; 1997).

The case came to light after other scientists at the institute became suspicious of the laboratory's apparent success with a particular assay for protoplasts (cultured plant cells without their cell walls) that could not be repeated by others. They reported their suspicions to the institute's director in February.

Less than three weeks later, the institute has announced publicly — as required by the new rules — that it is embarking on an internal investigation of the laboratory's work. At least one incident of fraud in a published experiment has been confirmed, and the internal inquiry will examine earlier published work.

According to the new rules, the names of the whistleblowers and the accused will not be disclosed during the internal inquiry, which should be completed within four weeks. At that point the institute director will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to ask the society for a formal investigation by independent experts.