Fusarium graminearum fungus when grown in potato environment - Photo: RESEARCH GATE
The Guardian newspaper reported on June 4 that two Chinese scientists have been accused by the US federal government of conspiring to illegally import a poisonous mushroom into the US, threatening to cause serious damage to the country's agricultural industry.
Specifically, two scientists, Yunqing Jian (33 years old) and Zunyong Liu (34 years old), smuggled into the US a fungus called Fusarium graminearum. This fungus is the cause of leaf blight on wheat, barley, corn and other major crops.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), this fungus not only causes billions of dollars in losses each year to the US agricultural industry but is also considered a "potential biological weapon" due to its ability to cause poisoning, liver damage and reproductive disorders in humans and livestock.
Therefore, the behavior of the two scientists is considered a threat to national security and potentially constitutes “agricultural bioterrorism.”
In addition, the US Department of Justice said these two people were also prosecuted for smuggling, false statements, visa fraud...
Currently, scientist Yunqing Jian is being held pending a bail hearing.
Meanwhile, scientist Zunyong Liu was deported to China in July 2024, after being discovered by customs officers carrying strange plant samples at Detroit airport and making false declarations.
Liu initially denied knowing about the samples, but later admitted that they were for research at a University of Michigan lab. According to the FBI, both men had previously studied the fungus Fusarium graminearum in China.
Authorities discovered on Mr. Liu's phone a scientific paper titled "Plant Warfare - Pathogens in the Context of Climate Change", showing the two men's interest in using pathogens for destructive purposes.
Federal Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. stressed that this is a matter of national security.
"Their deliberate attempt to introduce a dangerous biological agent into the heart of America is a plot that cannot be taken lightly, especially when it takes place in the context of growing concerns about the exploitation of the academic environment for non-scientific purposes," Mr. Jerome said.
The FBI and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are continuing to coordinate the investigation of the incident.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hai-nha-khoa-hoc-trung-quoc-bi-cao-buoc-dem-nam-doc-khung-bo-nong-nghiep-vao-my-20250604155708478.htm
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