Contaminomics: Why Some Microbiome Studies May Be Wrong
"Contamination can also waste valuable time and money and, when it
applies to medical research, create false hope for patients. The most
egregious recent example involved a virus called XMRV, which was touted
as a possible cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), after a 2009
paper identified it in samples from CFS patients. After a long saga
involving much follow-up work, allegations of misconduct, the retraction of the original paper, and much angst for patients, it is now clear that XMRV was a contaminant."
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/11/11/contaminomics-why-some-microbiome-studies-may-be-wrong/
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/11/11/contaminomics-why-some-microbiome-studies-may-be-wrong/