Scientists Often Skip A Simple Test That Could Verify Their Work

Congratulations GBSI on a successful BioPolicy Summit!

By Richard Harris, NPR

One study found that between 18 percent and 36 percent of all cell lines have been misidentified. And this kind of mistaken identity is one reason that many results from experiments run in scientific labs can't be reproduced elsewhere.

"These are really not very easy discussions to have," says Leonard Freedman, founding president of the Global Biological Standards Institute. "Irreproducibility is kind of an uncomfortable subject to talk about, particularly among researchers."

Full story: NPR

But Freedman is trying to kindle that conversation. Last month he hosted a discussion in Washington, D.C., on the subject that I was invited to moderate and allowed to record.