Fraud investigation concludes that self regulation has failed

A task force investigating one of Germany's most spectacular cases of scientific fraud has found that the number of forgeries was more than expected and more scientists may have been involved than previously thought.

The task force, headed by cell biologist Ulf Rapp of the University of Würzburg, was looking into the fraud perpetrated by cancer specialists Friedhelm Hermann of Berlin, and Marion Brach of Lübeck. In 1997, they were found to have forged several publications and were dismissed from their university posts as professors.

Both of them denied any wrongdoing and accused the other …