I read the book titled “that day” in Japanese written by Mis Obokata, so I would like to introduce this book, here.
I apologize the story written below is just my understanding or impression after reading.
The book contains Obokata's memories during working as a researcher in Riken Wakayama laboratory in Kobe.
STAP story had many mysterious events, finally she was accused to be the most suspicious person who contaminated ES cell in STAP cells.
Offical committee did not confirm ES contamination was her conduct, but this committee's ambiguous conclusion harmed her seriously.
As the result, she suffered from serious depression, so called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore she decided to write several events she experienced in Riken laboratory.
Two years later, the book titled "That day" was published.
She wrote her book as a memory story, actually, she asked Dr Wakayama to tell facts that were regarded as unresolved.
She would also like to know the possibilities of his manipulation about STAP experiments.
The most important points in her book is that she did not participate making STAP stem cells.
Therefore, she asked Dr Wakayama to reveal the mouse strain she was given prior to STAP cell preparing at first.
She wrote in her book that she used the mice just she was given from Dr Wakayama.
In the past press conference at June 16 in 2014,
In the past press conference at June 16 in 2014,
Dr Wakayama said he himself or other staffs in the laboratory prepared the mouse.
For preparing STAP cells, she used the mouse given by just Dr Wakayama or other staffs in the laboratory.
Initially, Dr Wakayama passed her the mouse directly, later, other staff did so.
Initially, Dr Wakayama passed her the mouse directly, later, other staff did so.
She did not know the experimental mice strain, therefore, she did not check its strain at all. It was almost impossible for her to tell why mouse gene gap occurred. She did not answer after STAP experiment.
Dr Wakayama said he did not leave any record of the mouse prepared.
Katsura official investigation committee confirmed Obokata did not know any mice strain at all.
Further, she was confused why the officially analyzed genes of STAP (stem) cells differed from those of experimental mouse she used.
She was not able to mention the reason of these gene gaps.
Dr Wakayama might be the only person who could tell the gene gap between STAP (stem) cell and used animal because he made STAP stem cell alone.
In the course of STAP experiments, Obokata was informed that Dr Wakayama succeeded in making kimera mouse and STAP stem cells establishment.
He did the serial STAP stem cell experiments with his colleagues.
Considering these facts, Obokata's experimental part was exclusively restricted to preparation of STAP cells.
She just made STAP cell through lethal processing with acid stress by using spleen lymphocytes taken from newborn mice.
Dr Wakayama made STAP stem cell named FLS. Then he made Fgf induce stem cells named CTS or FI which were able to make fetus and placenta.
She was not taught how to use manipulator at all in Wakayama laboratory, therefore she did not make STAP stem cells technically.
After all, she was not allowed to participate STAP stem cell and related experiments.
She insisted in her book that STAP stem cell experiments were done by Dr Wakayama himself.
She insisted in her book that STAP stem cell experiments were done by Dr Wakayama himself.
On the other hand, Obokata tried to increase STAP cells by the method of adapting the cells to artificial medium.
She was not able to grow STAP cell in the artificial ES or TS medium.
It was almost impossible for her to culture STAP cells for the purpose of conversion from STAP cell to STAP stem cell.
Actually, she continued to struggle with STAP cells culturing without success.
It was almost impossible for her to culture STAP cells for the purpose of conversion from STAP cell to STAP stem cell.
Actually, she continued to struggle with STAP cells culturing without success.
According to the contract, Wakayama laboratory moved to the new laboratory in Yamanasi University in March 2013.
After Wakayama laboratory leaving, Dr Sasai helped Obokata to write the new version of STAP manuscripts for sending to Nature.
Then, Mis Obok ata sent the two new versions of STAP manuscripts to Nature in March 2013.
Nature requested her to send back STAP revised manuscript after correction of several pointed contents.
She struggled to make revised version of STAP manuscript. She did additional experiments according to Dr Sasai and Dr Niwa‘s help.
Unfortunately, she was not able to contact Dr Wakayama who actually conducted STAP stem cell experiments.
Unfortunately, she was not able to contact Dr Wakayama who actually conducted STAP stem cell experiments.
Katsura official investigation committee did not reveal these experimental process of STAP stem cell.
Finally, Nature accepted STAP manuscript in December 2013.