Diluted chemicals, mislabeled cells: Questionable lab supplies scupper too many research findings
| 05-18-2017

Diluted chemicals, mislabeled cells: Questionable lab supplies scupper too many research findings. Credit: Hamiltonpaviana - Pixabay
If you come around these parts often, you’re likely familiar with the idea of fake data. You might even recall fake peer review. But fake laboratory supplies?
Unfortunately, that’s also a thing. From mislabeled antibodies to watered-down catalysts — to the wrong kind of cells entirely — problems with lab supplies have wasted labs’ resources and scuppered their research findings. And the trouble is exacerbated by unscrupulous producers, primarily in China, who are tempting scientists with cut-rate versions of essential substances for their experiments, and thereby jeopardizing the resulting conclusions. …