The new chief of the world's biggest stem cell project, the US$3 billion California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, has been cleared of any misconduct by his university after a research scandal. A scientist working under Professor Alan Trounson, of Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia, had "engaged in conduct that was negligent and that seriously deviated from accepted standards within the scientific and scholarly community for conducting and reporting research", according to a committee which investigated the matter. The Monash Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Larkins, stressed that Professor Trounson himself was not guilty of any misconduct. The researcher will be counselled. According to Professor Larkins, "the matter is now concluded".

Nonetheless, questions remain. This was no ordinary project. Had it succeeded, it would have made headlines around the world. The erring scientist, under Trounson's supervision, had been investigating whether treatment with adult stem cells could heal lungs damaged by smoking. Now, however, the project is in ruins and the University will have to refund another body, the Australian Stem Cell Centre, $300,000 as compensation.

Professor Trounson is arguably Australia's best-known scientist, because of his work in IVF and embryonic stem cells, but Australian newspapers, distracted by this weekend's Federal election, have shown relatively little interest in the story. However, an article in the San Francisco Chronicle raises some questions. Professor Trounson was aware of the problem last year and even mentioned it in his job interview with the CIRM. The project was officially ended by Monash in February and an major investigation was launched in April. However, in June Professor Trounson and the erring scientist still made four poster presentations about lung regeneration at the International Society for Stem Cell Research in June in the northern Australian city of Cairns. He assured the Chronicle that these posters were based on data which were different from those under investigation. The interim president of the CIRM, Richard Murphy, whom Trounson is due to replace next month, says that the Institute retains full confidence in Professor Trounson. ~ Australian, Nov 17; San Francisco Chronicle, Nov 19