Scientific research is undertaken on a daily basis in laboratories and universities across the world.  It is however not possible to undertake all studies.  Some studies may appear irrelevant, expensive, inappropriate and are often delayed or never pursued.  This is normal practice. However, some studies are not undertaken because to do so would produce knowledge which vested interests would perceive as dangerous. These studies are abandoned or left undone not for practical but for political reasons.  David Hess described these studies as 'undone science'.  In his research he found that conventional medicine and agriculture were subjected to intensive studies but alternative medicine and organic agriculture received little attention. Hess and his colleagues recommend critical analysis of scientific research to determine why some studies are neglected.

In my research I looked closely at the scientific research into the Tasmanian devil cancer and found that the transmission studies to confirm that the cancer was contagious were abandoned.  The comprehensive toxicology studies to test a competing hypothesis, that toxins in the environment may have been involved in the initiation or development of the cancer, were also abandoned.

This situation is repeated in three other wildlife cancers.  Sub-populations of the Green sea turtle in Moreton Bay, Queensland, the Beluga whale in the St Lawrence Estuary, Canada and the California sea lion in San Francisco Bay all are threatened by cancers.  Each of these populations inhabit environments that are contamined with pesticides.  In the environments of all four species the most commonly detected pesticide and at the highest level is atrazine. In all four cases appropriate and thorough toxicology studies on these animals need to be undertaken to determine the effects of chemicals found in their environment.