S Korea cloning expert suspended

Dr Hwang could still face criminal prosecution

The disgraced South Korean cloning expert, Hwang Woo-Suk, has been suspended from his university post.

Dr Hwang and six members of his team have been temporarily barred from teaching or research work as of Friday, Seoul National University said.

The university apologised last month after Dr Hwang was found to have faked some of his famous stem cell research.

At the time University President Chung Un-chan called for "heavy punishment" for Dr Hwang and his colleagues.

The suspension is temporary, but the university's disciplinary committee is still considering whether to implement further measures, which could include formal dismissal.

"The disciplinary committee is still following procedures to punish them. It is looking into their misconduct in research and their breach of ethical standards," said Byun Chang-ku, dean of academic affairs at Seoul National University.

Dr Hwang and the six others also face criminal charges of fraud and embezzlement.

Fabrications

The disgraced scientist caused shockwaves late last year, when he admitted flaws in his research, but has insisted most of the fabrications were carried out without his knowledge.

A final report from experts at Seoul National University, published last month, said that Dr Hwang had faked his most famous work, the production of a stem cell line taken from cloned embryos.

The panel had previously rejected another of his landmark claims - to have produced individually tailored stem cells.

But it did conclude that Dr Hwang produced the world's first cloned dog, an Afghan hound called Snuppy.

Dr Hwang has already apologised for the mistakes.

However, he has insisted that most of the fabrications were carried out without his knowledge, by collaborators on the project.