A former employee at the National Accelerator Laboratory SLAC in Palo Alto, California, was arrested Monday for allegedly destroying at least 4000 samples of protein crystals by removing from cryogenic vessels in the laboratory and let them out to thaw. Documents published by the FBI estimate that it will cost $ 500,000 to replicate and process the lost samples.
The FBI says Silvya Oommachen, 32, a former lab assistant, admitted she slipped into the lab on July 18 and empty containers, leaving behind three post-it, the San Jose Mercury News reports
she signed a as his alter ego "X Black" and the other referred to a sexual act and the date and time of the crystal samples proteins were sabotaged, according to the affidavit.
by Mercury News written special agent quick Matthew FBI in an affidavit that Oommachen had a bad relationship with his supervisor and felt overworked and, earlier this month -ci she was fired for leaving his work.
researchers affiliated to the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) have been using x-rays produced by synchrotron Stanford Radiation Lightsource to study samples as part of their efforts to match gene sequences with protein structures and developing simplified methods for determining the three-dimensional structures of proteins. The samples are not irreplaceable, but it will take time, effort and money to replace them, said Ian Wilson, principal investigator JCSG. Wilson said that JCSG scientists will meet in the near future to decide how to proceed, "You can not imagine that someone would do something like that, and I do not know how to protect yourself against it, quite honestly," added- he.
Note :. This article has been corrected to indicate that the number of samples was destroyed at least 4000, not 3500, and that Oommachen was fired in July, not June
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