by A microscopic discovery in a California lake left a significant scientific debate over a decade ago.
The researchers claimed to use bacteria with arsenic – an element fatal to known life forms – for growth. If this were validated, this would have expanded the well -known parameters of life on earth and beyond.
However, numerous research groups could not replicate the results, and argued that it is not biologically feasible for an organism to use such a toxic element for DNA and proteins. Since then, some scientists have suggested that the original experiments have been impaired by non -discovered impurities.
On Thursday, the magazine Science, which first published research, pulled it back, but not because of the researcher’s misconduct.
“If the editors find that the reported experiments of a paper do not support their most important conclusions, even if no fraud or manipulation has occurred, a withdrawal is being considered,” wrote the journal editor -in -chief, Holden Thorp, in the explanation that announced the withdrawal.
The researchers do not agree to the journal’s decision
The researchers do not agree to the journal’s decision and have their data. It is reasonable to draw a paper for big mistakes or presumed misconduct-but debates and disagreements about the results are part of the scientific process, said the co-author of the study, Ariel Anbar from Arizona State University.
“You do not withdraw paper because the interpretation is controversial or even because most of the interpretation did not agree,” wrote Anbar in an e -mail. “At least that was not the case so far.”
Science has withdrawn papers more often in recent years for reasons, for reasons, said Thorp and Vada Vinson, the editor -in -chief of Science, in a blog post.
NASA helped finance the original work. Nicky Fox, head of the space agency, said in a statement that NASA does not support the withdrawal and encourages science to rethink.
