Some American researchers were skeptical of the Chinese findings. They suspected that the researchers involved in this study were simply the victims of an anti-biotech backlash in China.

But Tufts, after spending more than a year carrying out its own review, now says that the study was not "conducted in full compliance with ... policy or federal regulations. According to the Tufts report, the researchers did not adequately explain the nature of golden rice and made some changes in the study without getting approval from the committee at Tufts that is supposed to review all research involving human subjects.

Guangwen Tang will be banned from conducting research on human subjects for two years. For two years after that, any research that she conducts will be under the direct supervision of another investigator.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

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Golden Rice Study Violated Ethical Rules, Tufts Says