GoKawiilMetascientist finds 18,000+ suspect antibody validation images across 15 vendors
Northwestern University researcher Reese Richardson expanded his earlier investigation into Thermo Fisher's antibody catalogue and found over 18,000 questionable validation images spanning 15 supply companies, publishing the findings in a public database on August 25. Many of the western blot images used to prove antibody quality show signs of digital manipulation, according to his analysis.
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Antibodies underpin countless diagnostic and research experiments, and a 2023 study found more than half of tested commercial antibodies fail to perform as claimed, costing science over $1 billion annually in wasted effort. Widespread manipulation of the images meant to validate antibody quality would deepen an existing reliability crisis and undermine trust in a foundational lab tool used across biomedical research.
- Reese Richardson identified over 18,000 potentially altered validation images across 15 antibody vendors.
- This follows an earlier finding of 100+ suspicious images in Thermo Fisher's catalogue in May.
- Antibody unreliability already costs research over $1 billion a year, and manipulated proof images could worsen trust issues.
Source: nature.com — Garisto, 2026-08-25
Published there as: “More than 18,000 questionable images found in antibody catalogues of 15 companies”
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