Guest guest Posted October 21, 2001 Report Share Posted October 21, 2001 http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/world/story/0,1870,78334,00.html Scientists goofed by testing tissue of wrong animals LONDON - Scientists who spent five years investigating whether British sheep could have become infected with mad-cow disease admitted yesterday that they had been testing cattle brains by mistake. Scientists had expressed fears that bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a brain-wasting ailment in cattle, may have been passed between cows and sheep because it behaves like the sheep disease scrapie. The government had planned to release results of tests on sheep brains by the Institute of Animal Health yesterday. But officials admitted yesterday that the test samples were found to be of cattle brains. DNA checks revealed 'the samples came from the wrong animal', said a spokesman for the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs. 'As to how it happened, that is the question we are asking,' he added. The ministry and the Institute of Animal Health are investigating the mix-up, he said. Institute director Chris Bostock said he was 'flabbergasted, devastated' by the mistake, according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper. -AP http://briefcase..au - Briefcase - Manage your files online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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