Western blots are frequently used in scientific and medical research to detect proteins and semi-quantify protein amounts. Searching for the phrase on PubMed1 returns over 400,000 publications — with more than 21,000 from 2022 alone. Dr Dror Kolodkin-Gal, founder of image integrity tool Proofig AI, has found that many of the integrity issues AI tools recognise in scientific images exist within western blots. Here he explores how these image issues arise and what researchers and institutions can do to ensure the integrity of the work they submit to journals.
I
f someone reports an issue — such as an
image integrity problem — in a published scientific article, an investigation may be conducted, which may result in a retraction. In a 2022 study of 1367 articles2, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) found that image issues were most likely to come from western blots (40.8%), so researchers and institutions must take care when using these images in their content.
Where issues can arise
Image integrity best practice The problem with altering western blots
Space is at a premium in journals. To keep a manuscript compact, researchers might crop or splice images to remove blank space. Splicing refers to removing unwanted empty space between lanes
checking the manuscript after submission and end
illustrate to your audience,” write Rossner and
up being published.
Yamada in their seminal paper on the topic3.
The guidelines published by journals often
“For every adjustment that you make to a digital
differ on what they deem acceptable levels of image
image, it is important to ask yourself, ‘Is the
alteration for the purposes of ‘beautification’.
image that results from this adjustment still an
Some journals discourage forming figures
accurate representation of the original data?’ If
was necessary is explained. Any cropped lanes must
from different gels; others encourage it where
the answer to this question is ‘no’, your actions
be clearly delineated, the molecular weights must
it improves clarity. However, all are united on
may be construed as misconduct.”
be unchanged, and the unprocessed original image
the idea that images should not be deliberately
data must be available. This is especially important
manipulated in order to show a result incongruous
Limiting retraction risk
because splices are often invisible to the naked eye,
with the original data.
According to Bushra Khair4, a research integrity
in a gel or combining lanes from different gels by digitally ‘stitching’ the lanes together (Figure 1). Generally, splicing is unacceptable, and cropping can only be performed if it is declared and why it
so mislabelled images containing splices could go
“Data must be reported directly, not through
specialist at Frontiers, “While it is common
unnoticed by fellow researchers or a busy reviewer
a filter based on what you think they ‘should’
practice to include cropped western blot images
6 | LAB+LIFE SCIENTIST - Apr/May 2024
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