Errata in Previous Research

Description of the Problem

A research group publishes a couple of papers on an important discovery in two different high impact journals. A new graduate student is given the task of reproducing and extending the work of the advisor and a postdoc. After several weeks of experimentation he realizes that he cannot reproduce the work reported earlier. He even has an explanation for the error.

Questions

What are the optimum courses of action for the student, the advisor and the postdoc, who in the interim, has left to take up a new job.
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