EXPRESSION OF CONCERN
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and Applied and Environmental Microbiology (AEM) are issuing this Expression of Concern regarding the following publication:
Adékambi T, Ben Salah S, Khlif M, Raoult M, and Drancourt M. 2006. Survival of environmental mycobacteria in Acanthamoeba polyphaga. Appl Environ Microbiol 72:5974–5981. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.03075-05.
ASM, Journal of Clinical Microbiology (JCM), and AEM were notified about the potential image duplication concerns with figures from this article in JCM by the same corresponding author:
Adékambi T, Reynaud-Gaubert M, Greub G, Gevaudan M-J, La Scola B, Raoult D, and Drancourt D. 2004. Amoebal coculture of “Mycobacterium massiliense” sp. nov. from the sputum of a patient with hemoptoic pneumonia. J Clin Microbiol 42:5493–5501. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.42.12.5493-5501.2004.
The specific concerns are as follows:
Figure 2B of 10.1128/AEM.03075–05 and Fig. 1A of 10.1128/JCM.42.12.5493–5501.2004 appear to have identical features and it is likely that portions of these images are duplicates.
Figure 3A of 10.1128/AEM.03075–05 and Fig. 1B of 10.1128/JCM.42.12.5493–5501.2004 appear to have identical features and it is likely that portions of these images are duplicates.
ASM reviewed the figures and confirmed evidence of apparent duplication. ASM sent an inquiry to the authors and requested a response from the authors regarding these concerns but did not receive original images for verification and review. This Expression of Concern is issued to raise awareness of the above-mentioned concerns.
ASM formally requested of the University of Aix Marseille that this paper be included and reviewed as part of a scientific misconduct investigation. The request “is in the hands of the University’s governance,” and the Expression of Concern will be updated accordingly thereafter.