Chinese geneticist, Han Chunyu has defended the authenticity of his cutting-edge gene-editing technique called NgAgo after an Australian lab raised questions about it. 

Han, 42, is a geneticist at Hebei University of Science and Technology. He came to the defense of his gene-editing technique after the head of a trans-genesis lab at the Australian National University said last week that the lab had been unable to replicate Han's results. 

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In response, the journal Nature Biotechnology, which published Han's research in May, said it would investigate the criticisms.

Meanwhile, Han has vowed to repeat the experiment and share the details of his result.

Nature Biotechnology said on Tuesday that it would investigate criticisms of what was thought to be a breakthrough gene-editing technique developed by Han.

Han's paper describing his research findings on a cutting-edge gene-editing technique called NgAgo was published online on May 2. It drew international attention and immediately Han rose to prominence. There had been speculations that he will be a contender for a Nobel Prize.

Just three months later, the journal reported that it had been contacted by several researchers and some peer scientists who questioned the viability of the research because they have not been able to reproduce Han's results.

On Friday, Gaetan Burgio, who heads the Australian lab, wrote on his Twitter account that he had found no solid ground for genome editing using NgAgo after multiple attempts.

Burgio noted that Han's paper contradicted the conditions needed for a successful replication.

In a previous statement, Burgio had said the NgAgo technique was efficient in editing gene fragments of mice.

Meanwhile, Han has said that he smells a conspiracy. "It's like they ganged up against NgAgo," he said, according to Chinese media.

TagsGenetic Engineering, germline genetic modification, CRISPR human genetic code