A case of scientific misconduct at the Research Center Borstel in Germany is assuming ever-more alarming proportions. The center, which had first launched an investigation last July, announced this week that retractions are underway of 6 more papers produced by current and former members of its immunology group. This increases to one dozen the number of incriminated publications.

The head of the group, immunologist Silvia Bulfone-Paus, who is listed as co-author on all 12 papers, claims that a pair of former postdocs manipulated PCR and western blots on multiple figures contained in the papers without her knowledge. Bulfone-Paus stepped down in December 2010 from her post as co-director of the centre, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Meanwhile, the EMBO Journal, has published a retraction notice for a 2005 paper by the group.