Chinese scientist pleads guilty in US toxic fungus case, will be quickly deported

A Chinese scientist charged in Michigan with smuggling biological materials pleaded guilty on Wednesday, but was given no additional time in jail beyond the five months she already spent in custody.

Jian Yunqing, who was a temporary researcher at a University of Michigan lab, will be released and quickly deported. A judge called it a “very strange” case involving an “incredibly accomplished researcher”.

Jian, 33, was arrested in June and accused of conspiring with a boyfriend to study and nurse a toxic fungus at a campus lab. A pathogen known as Fusarium graminearum can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice. Liu Zunyong was caught carrying small samples while arriving at a Detroit airport in 2024.

In China, Jian and Liu specialised in studying Fusarium graminearum, which is widely found in US fields, depending on weather and growing conditions. But it is illegal to bring it into the US without a government permit, which carries strict conditions. The university had no permits.

Assistant US Attorney Michael Martin said there was potential for “devastating harm”, though he did not elaborate.