A Supreme Court justice on Monday rejected a request by a Northwestern University cancer researcher in a dispute over ownership of thousands of blood and tissue samples. Dr. William Catalona spearheaded creation of a repository of more than 3,500 prostate tissue samples and 100,000 blood samples at Washington University in St. Louis.

In 2003, he became director of the Clinical Prostate Cancer Program at Northwestern University. Washington University sued to keep the samples, and won several federal rulings.

Justice Samuel Alito refused to grant a delay in the federal appeals court decision.