Reagent trouble
Monday 2 March 2026, 10.30-12.00 HG00.616
(Huygens building, ground floor, wing 6)
Access free, no registration needed.
Jennifer Byrne (U.Sydney) “Wrongly identified reagents in research papers, or how to study things that may not exist”
Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of methods to confirm the identities of verifiable experimental reagents in research publications, focussing on the recent identification of publications that describe human cell line models that do not appear to exist. The presentation will also discuss ways to improve post-publication corrections of flawed papers, including external regulation of academic journals.
Bio: Jennifer Byrne is Director of Biobanking-New South Wales Health, and Professor of Molecular Oncology at the University of Sydney, Australia, where she leads the PRIMeR group (Publication and Research Integrity in Medical Research). Jennifer was one of Nature’s 10 people in 2017 for highlighting repetitive human gene research papers with critical reagent errors, and she was one of 3 experts who testified before US Congress at their 2022 congressional hearing into paper mills and research misconduct. Jennifer holds the Australian Academy of Science’s Professor David Vaux Research Integrity Fellowship award for 2025-2026.
Willem Halffman (RU), “Biomedical reagents’ operational identity”
Abstract: Biomedical reagent and materials pose significant challenges to reliable identification, especially in long and distributed supply chains. Misidentification of cells, animals or antibodies can invalidate research results. However, determining the precise “identity” of materials, living or not, poses considerable conceptual and practical challenges. In this presentation, I will disentangle what makes up the identity of materials, to argue that they are best conceived as operational identities. Operational identities rely on practical interventions, such as labelling and categorisation, characterisation, and documentation. This may clarify the merits and limitations of authentication and verification procedures.
Bio: Willem Halffman associate professor in sociology of science at the Institute for Science in Society, RU Faculty of Science.
Hosted by the Institute for Science in Society and ERC project NanoBubbles (921393)
Willem Halffman 