[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 8446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3865]



[[Page 8446]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Scientific Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) and the Acting Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final 
action in the following case:
    Bernd Hoffmann, Ph.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New 
Jersey: Based on two inquiry/investigation reports from the University 
of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and additional analysis 
conducted by ORI in its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health 
Service (PHS) found that Bernd Hoffmann, Ph.D., former Postdoctoral 
Fellow and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology at 
UMDNJ, engaged in scientific misconduct in research supported by 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant 2 R01 GM052309-05.
    PHS found that Dr. Hoffmann engaged in scientific misconduct by 
falsifying and fabricating research data in a manuscript entitled 
``LIS1/NUDF and CLIP-170 are required for dynein-mediated vesicle 
transport on microtubules'' that had been submitted to the Journal of 
Cell Biology (JCB), but was withdrawn before publication. Specifically, 
Respondent:
     Falsified data values on the second line from 
the bottom of Table IV; for example, the correct number under ``Bound'' 
in the first column was only one-third of that shown (325) in the 
manuscript;
     falsified data by erasing a band of approximate 
molecular weight 15KD from Figure 5A in the manuscript; and
     falsified a related movie film available on the 
Internet by altering the movement of the vesicles.
    PHS also found that Dr. Hoffmann engaged in scientific misconduct 
by falsifying and fabricating research data in a published paper 
entitled ``The LIS1-related Protein NUDF of Aspergillus nidulans and 
its Interaction Partner NUDE Bind Directly to Specific Subunits of 
Dynein and Dynactin and to Alpha- and Gamma-Tubulin'' that had been 
published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) at 276:38877-
38884, 2001. Specifically, Respondent:
     Falsified Figure 5A left, Western blot with the 
alpha tubulin antibody for incubated proteins (+E+gamma+alpha); the 
lower right band was reused twice in Figure 2A. In Figure 5A, it was 
used as gamma tubulin band for the coprecipitation experiment with 
NUDF-Prot.S and as NUDE for the coprecipitation experiments with NUDG 
(CDLC)-Flag;
     falsified Figure 5A left, NUDF Western blot with 
the alpha tubulin antibody for incubated proteins (+E+gamma+alpha); the 
lower left band was reused in Figure 2A as alpha tubulin in the 
coprecipitation experiment with NUDF-Prot.S; and
     falsified Figure 4A left, NUDF and for the 
interaction between the two proteins NUDA and NUDF, pulled out with 
NUDA-FLAG-agarose, had been used at several other places such as Figure 
5A left, left gamma tubulin band, Figure 5B left, NUDE band for the 
interaction E + alpha, and Figure 5B right, NUDE band for the 
interaction E + K (ARP1).
    Dr. Hoffmann has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement 
(Agreement ) in which he has voluntarily agreed for a period of three 
(3) years, beginning on January 30, 2004:
    (1) To exclude himself from any contracting or subcontracting with 
any agency of the United States Government and from eligibility or 
involvement in nonprocurement programs of the United States Government 
referred to as ``covered transactions'' as defined in the debarment 
regulations at 45 CFR part 76;
    (2) to exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS 
including but not limited to service on any PHS advisory committee, 
board, and/or peer review committee, or as a consultant; and
    (3) to draft a letter of retraction and send it to ORI along with 
the signed Agreement. The draft letter requested the retraction of the 
JBC paper published at 276:38877-38884, 2001 and stated that he 
falsified and fabricated data in Figures 2A, 4A, 5A, and 5B. Upon ORI 
approval of the draft letter, Respondent agreed to send the final 
retraction letter to the Editor of JBC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Investigative 
Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
750, Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 443-5330.

Chris B. Pascal,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. 04-3865 Filed 2-23-04; 8:45 am]
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