South Korea's disgraced cloning expert, currently on trial for fraud and fake research, has launched a legal battle to regain his academic post, court officials said.
Hwang Woo-Suk, hailed as a national hero before a university inquiry ruled that much of his work was bogus, believes he was "improperly fired" and has sent papers on his appeal to the Seoul Administrative Court, they said.
Hwang was stripped of all government honours and funds, including his title as South Korea's "Supreme Scientist", after Seoul National University concluded his claims -- first made public in a 2004 science journal -- were fake.
He was fired as the state-run university's veterinary professor in April and indicted one month later for fraud, embezzlement, ethical breaches and other charges.
"In his litigation, Hwang argued he was improperly fired. It will take about two months to make a decision on this case," a court official told AFP.
Five other scientists have been indicted in connection with the bogus research and the disappearance of millions of dollars in research funds.
Hwang has admitted exaggerating the number of stem cells he allegedly cloned. But he has denied embezzling any funds, one of several charges against him.
At his trial last month, he insisted he could still prove he created the world's first cloned human embryo stem cell -- a medical milestone that could offer hope in treating dozens of illnesses such as Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Hwang claimed to have paved the way for treatments of incurable diseases by creating stem cells through cloning which would not be rejected when inserted into a patient's body.
But his successes could not be repeated by others, a key test for scientific method.
His research was then called into question after local media and other scientists raised the possibility that the data and photos of cells used for his papers might have been fabricated.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/061106/1/44kjz.html
