A San Diego company which had been developing a non-invasive test for Down’s Syndrome is in hot water after admitting that some of its data was "mishandled" by employees. Sequenom’s shares plunged 75% when investors learned that there were "significant concerns". Officials have declined to say whether fraud was involved. Four people in R&D have been suspended and an independent investigation has been launched. Several class-actions suits have been filed against the company.

Sequenom's test works by examining minute amounts of fetal DNA or RNA in the mother’s blood. It would provide an alternative to more invasive methods such as amniocentesis, which carry a small risk of miscarriage. In most cases the child would be aborted if the test were reliably positive. ~ Nature, May 6; Wall Street Journal, Apr 30