(Yicai Global) Aug. 3 -- Professor Chunyu Han of Hebei University of Science and Technology (HEBUST) and his colleagues have withdrawn a paper published in May 2016 in the renowned journal 'Nature Biotechnology' amid controversies about its claims regarding a new gene-editing tool.

The paper claimed the discovery of a new NgAgo-gDNA tool for genome editing. However, after extensive peer review, the journal concluded that the latest data from Prof. Han and his colleagues are insufficient to counter the substantial body of evidence that contradicts their initial findings.

The publication concluded that retracting the paper was the best course of action to support its integrity.

The research paper claimed that NgAgo, a protein in Natronobacterium gregoryi, possesses endonuclease active properties and could be used for gene editing.

There were media calls shortly after for the Nobel Prize to be awarded for such a scientific discovery. However, many scientists said they were unable to repeat Han's experiment result, casting doubts over the discovery and forcing Nature Biotechnology journal to launch an investigation.