Tufts University apologizes for GM rice study scandal

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2013-09-20

The golden rice had been genetically modified to increase its
vitamin A content. (Internet photo)

Tufts University in the United States has issued a formal apology for a study by one of its researchers Guangweng Tang who tested genetically modified "golden rice" on children in China last year. Tang has been banned from conducting studies involving human test subjects for two years, reports Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese.

The university ruled that Tang violated the code of ethics and made changes to the study without obtaining the university's approval in advance.

The research team led by Tang conducted the experiment on 25 Chinese elementary school students aged between 6 and 8 in 2008 and published its results in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in August last year. The results of the study remain valid despite Tang's ethical violation.

The "golden rice" used in the study had been genetically modified to increase its vitamin A content. The study posited it could be used in the global fight against malnutrition since a single bowl of the rice contains more than half of a child's recommended daily vitamin A intake.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Greenpeace China immediately issued a warning upon the study's publication and said it broke regulations, scientific ethics and trust. The Chinese researchers involved in the study were reportedly removed from their positions.

Tufts University said although the study's data were approved and no health or safety hazard has so far been identified, it did not comply with the university's rules and federal regulations. The university said it will reinforce its regulations and management to prevent a similar incident happening in the future.

Tang will be banned from conducting studies on human subjects for two years, during which time she will receive training on research regulations and case studies for scientific studies on human subjects. She will be directly supervised by another investigator when carrying out research on human subjects for another two years subsequently.

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