The student is now a Postdoc in Brazil and the PI has since moved to Western Australia for another position. These moves happened in 2011 and 2012 respectively, according to their linkedin profiles. So unless they're still working on the project, it's unlikely the phrase 'just make up' means to put together.. rather it's more likely that it means to fabricate.
Basic elemental analysis is very easy to fake, and very hard to demonstrate it was faked.
Basic elemental analysis is very easy to fake, and very hard to demonstrate it was faked.