LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Three researchers at the University of Michigan were charged with conspiring to smuggle biological materials into the United States Wednesday, the latest of several similar cases involving researchers at U-M.
2 Chinese scientists will stay in jail while accused of bringing biological material to US
Xu Bai, 28; Fengfan Zhang, 27; and Zhiyong Zhang, 30, all Chinese nationals, were researchers holding J-1 visas conducting research at the U-M laboratory of Xianzhong Xu, also known as the Shawn Xu laboratory.
Prosecutors claim that over the past two years, Bai and Fengfan had received multiple shipments containing concealed biological materials related to roundworms. Those shipments had been sent from China to the United States by Chengxuan Han.
Chinese nationals charged with smuggling fungus into Michigan
Han was pursuing a Ph.D. from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China at the time, and came to the U.S. to work in a U-M laboratory in June 2025. She pleaded no contest to multiple charges related to smuggling illegal biological material into the U.S in August and officials say she was “sentenced and then removed from the United States.”
After this, the university began an internal investigation into the laboratory, but officials say Bai, Fengfan, and Zhiyong did not participate and were terminated by the university…