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India.com
4 days ago
- Health
- India.com
Biohazard Hidden In A Tissue, Stashed In A Backpack: How Two Scientists Tried Sneaking The Crop-Killing Fungus Into US
New Delhi: Two Chinese researchers, Yunqing Jian (33) and Zunyong Liu (34), stand accused of bringing into the United States a deadly agricultural pathogen tucked away inside tissue paper. The fungus, Fusarium graminearum, is a crop-killer that can silently devastate wheat, barley, maize and rice – which are staples of global food security. The mold also carries the terrifying potential to cause vomiting, reproductive defects, liver damage and more in humans and animals. According to an FBI affidavit, when agents tested the smuggled material, they discovered DNA sequences that would allow anyone with biological knowledge to propagate the fungus in a lab. In other words, it was a ticking agroterrorism time bomb. Though the two researchers, believed to be romantically involved, are not charged with trying to weaponise the pathogen, Liu allegedly smuggled it into the United States knowingly and hid it in his backpack. They never even applied for the USDA permit required for importing such biohazards. Now, they are facing a mountain of federal charges – conspiracy, smuggling, false statements and visa fraud. A Silent Killer, a Growing Global Threat Fusarium graminearum is no ordinary fungus. Once it takes hold, it causes Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), also called 'scab'. To the untrained eye, it looks like discolored lesions. But for farmers, it is a nightmare. 'In just a few weeks before harvest, it can destroy an entire field of what once promised a record yield,' CNN has quoted plant pathology expert Gary Bergstrom from Cornell University as saying. The FHB has already inflicted billions of dollars in damage - $2.7 billion to be precise, across the central United States and Northern Plains between 1998 and 2000 alone. And it has not stopped. The fungus survives winters on infected wheat straw and corn stalks, waiting for warm and wet weather to unleash a new wave of spores. Those spores do not only ruin crops, they poison them as well. Grains infected with FHB contain vomitoxin (DON), a powerful mycotoxin linked to gastrointestinal disorders, neuroendocrine damage and even immune suppression in both humans and animals. In livestock, it leads to diarrhea, hemorrhaging and skin issues. And though food processing reduces levels, the United States FDA has strict guidelines to keep DON out of the food chain. How Dangerous Could This Be? Why would someone smuggle a known agricultural biohazard into the United States? Investigators have not found proof of malicious intent, but Liu – despite knowing the USDA restrictions – allegedly brought the fungus anyway. Experts are warning that even unintentional import of a foreign fungal strain could be catastrophic. 'If a new trait enters our environment, like resistance to current fungicides or increased toxin output, it could cripple our defenses,' Bergstrom told CNN. Adding to the fear is the fungus's growing resistance to existing fungicides. Recent studies from Poland confirm that Fusarium graminearum is mutating fast. Traditional methods are faltering, and researchers are scrambling to develop new fungicides and resistant crop strains. As the USDA and federal prosecutors investigate, the world watches closely. Not because two scientists crossed a dangerous line but because the invisible threat they allegedly carried with them could, under the right conditions, ripple through the world's food supply. And it all started with a fungus. Hidden in a tissue. Stashed in a backpack.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What is Fusarium graminearum, the fungus 2 Chinese researchers are charged with smuggling into the US?
Two Chinese researchers were charged with smuggling a fungus classified 'as a potential agroterrorism weapon' that could decimate crops and impact human health into the US last summer in a wad of tissues, according to an FBI affidavit in support of the criminal complaint filed Tuesday. Testing at an FBI laboratory discovered a sample containing the DNA sequence that 'would allow a researcher to propagate live Fusarium graminearum,' a fungus that causes 'head blight,' in the biological materials that Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, allegedly smuggled into the US, according to the complaint. Fusarium head blight, or FHB, is a devastating disease for staple crops like wheat, barley, maize and rice. The fungus' toxins can lead to 'vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock,' according to a news release from the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. Jian and Liu were charged with conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements and visa fraud for bringing in the fungus Fusarium graminearum from China, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said on Tuesday. The criminal complaint does not allege that the defendants – who investigators say were in a relationship – had any plans to spread the fungus beyond the laboratory, but it said Liu was aware of the restrictions on the material and deliberately hid it in his backpack. Fusarium graminearum is the most common cause of Fusarium head blight in North America and in many other parts of the world. The destructive disease, also called 'scab,' has the capacity to 'destroy a potentially high-yielding crop within a few weeks of harvest,' according to an article from the journal Molecular Plant Pathology published in 2004. It forms discolored lesions on the crops. The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said the fungus 'is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.' It is estimated that the losses for all crops in the Central United States and the northern Great Plains totaled $2.7 billion between 1998 to 2000, according to the article from the journal Molecular Plant Pathology. The fungus spends the winter on infested crop residues like corn stalk or wheat straw. Wet weather during the growing season causes the fungus to sprout spores, which are then windblown or water-splashed onto the spikes of wheat and barley, according to Gary Bergstrom, emeritus professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section at Cornell University, who has previously published research on the head blight. If wheat is infected during flowering, the fungus colonizes, killing the florets, and kernels don't develop. If it is infected later, those plants produce diseased kernels that are shriveled and wilted. Bergstrom told CNN the impact of the disease and the toxin each year is 'like looking at the stock market. It goes up and down,' depending on weather patterns and other environmental details. 'But it has not gone away. The risk is still there. We do get losses every year,' he said Wednesday. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the importation of organisms that might negatively impact agriculture in the United States, prohibiting anyone from importing any organism that 'directly or indirectly injures, causes damage to, or causes disease in a plant or plant product' without first applying for and obtaining a permit from the USDA, according to the complaint in the case. The USDA requires a permit for the importation of Fusarium graminearum. According to records maintained by the USDA, the Chinese researchers now charged never applied for, nor were issued, a permit to import the pathogen, the complaint said. USDA permitting 'is a mechanism that's used all the time,' Bergstrom said. 'We've used it in labs in our university and across the United States. It just takes a little time, like you're applying for any application.' Bergstrom said the danger with a pathogen being brought into the United States uncontrolled 'would be if some new trait was introduced with a new strain that got out into the system.' 'Maybe it's less sensitive to the fungicides we use, or maybe it has a particular strain, has a different spectrum of these fungal toxins that it produces,' Bergstrom said, noting that there is a tremendous variation in the fungus Fusarium graminearum in North America and across the world. Bergstrom said that while he thinks the fungus is 'kind of unlikely to be selected as an agent' for agroterrorism, 'a lot of things are possible.' 'Some other things that don't occur at all in the United States, that are on APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) watch list we are worried about … and would be an immediate serious concern,' Bergstom said. 'I wouldn't put that (Fusarium graminearum) in this category.' Grains infected with Fusarium graminearum have mycotoxins and eating them is 'known to cause gastrointestinal disorders, skin irritation, and neuroendocrine changes,' according to a recent study by researchers in Poland. In humans, the fungus has been linked to effects on the digestive system, including nausea and vomiting, Bergstrom said, and chronic exposure 'has wide-ranging effects, including neurological disorders and immunosuppression,' according to the journal of Molecular Plant Pathology article. The mycotoxins also impact animals, causing them to refuse food or develop diarrhea, haemorrhaging and irritated skin, the article said. The predominant toxin associated with FHB infections in the United States is deoxynivalenol (DON), which is also known as vomitoxin because consumption can cause vomiting. The US Food and Drug Administration has established guidelines for DON levels in human food and animal feed. 'Milling and baking further reduce vomitoxin levels. Brewing companies will not purchase grain with even a trace of a vomitoxin,' the USDA says. 'In the unlikely event that vomitoxin ends up in the food supply despite all the industry safeguards, a person will have to eat enormous quantities of the product for the toxin to have any effect.' Some research has shown that Fusarium graminearum is becoming 'increasingly resistant' to fungicides, prompting the search for new fungicides 'to effectively target FHB and reduce the pathogen's ability to biosynthesize mycotoxins.' 'That's something we need to monitor very closely,' Bergstrom said. The researchers in Poland also noted that this increasing resistance warrants further research 'to improve molecular methods for detecting fungicide-resistant strains and strains with a modified ability to produce mycotoxins,' and to introduce resistant wheat varieties that can effectively suppresses the development of Fusarium graminearum infections. 'We basically take an integrated management approach to these diseases,' Bergstrom explained. 'There's no one silver bullet. We don't have a completely immune variety of plant, but we have some that are way more resistant than others.'
The Sun
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
FSBM rolls out RM28,888 MES Lite smart factory starter package
KUALA LUMPUR: FSBM Holdings Bhd (FHB) through its wholly owned subsidiary FSBM MES Elite Sdn Bhd announced its RM28,888 MES (manufacturing execution system) Lite – the company's smart factory starter package, designed to accelerate digital transformation for Malaysian manufacturers. This unique initiative, with an actual value of RM120,000 empowers businesses, particularly SMEs, to swiftly adopt digital manufacturing practices, boosting their competitiveness in an increasingly digital global marketplace. In alignment with the Madani government's initiative to transform Malaysia's manufacturing sector through digitalisation, FSBM MES Elite has successfully harnessed AI-driven processes to significantly accelerate the deployment of a Lite version of the MES solution for entry-level implementation. This initiative recognises Malaysian manufacturers' current challenging business landscape and provides an affordable and impactful entry point towards Industry 4.0 transformation. FSBM managing director Pang Kiew Kun said the company's smart factory starter package is more than an attractive offer. 'It is our commitment to helping Malaysian manufacturers stay relevant and competitive in the Industry 4.0 era. 'By providing affordable access to advanced digital solutions, we are enabling local SMEs to achieve immediate improvements in productivity and profitability,' he said. FSBM MES Elite's innovative offer includes MES solutions to streamline production, enhance quality control, and optimise operational efficiency. The package features comprehensive digitalisation services, ensuring seamless transition and minimal disruption to ongoing operations. It addresses common pain points such as productivity bottlenecks, data inaccuracies, and operational inefficiencies experienced by traditional manufacturers. FSBM MES Elite's solution has demonstrated remarkable success in various industrial sectors, significantly enhancing clients' operational performance. Notably, businesses that implemented MES Elite's systems experienced a 30% increase in production efficiency and a 25% reduction in equipment downtime. Additionally, digitising workflows and warehouse management processes substantially decreased human error and improved quality assurance. The RM28,888 package offers an easy entry point into advanced digital manufacturing, giving companies an immediate competitive advantage without significant upfront costs or prolonged implementation periods. 'We believe the future of Malaysian manufacturing hinges upon how swiftly companies can integrate digital technologies into their production lines,' Pang said. 'Our mission with this package is to make advanced manufacturing tech accessible to all manufacturers and position Malaysia as a smart manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia.' FSBM MES Elite encourages manufacturers to seize the unique opportunity and initiate their journey towards digital excellence.
News.com.au
05-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
How Gen Z accountant tackled record housing market
Gen Z landlord Gibson Pham thought his property-ownership days were years away until he made moves elsewhere that now has him on track to buy his second house within months. Mr Pham – who saves around 60 per cent of his earnings to put towards property investment – was keen but very disheartened by prices in Sydney, when his sister recommended trying a buyers' agent and going straight to being a landlord. He weaned himself off the idea of tapping into first homebuyer grants, saying while they were good, it was easy to 'fall into a trap' if they limited your options to one area or type of property. 'It really depends if the grant is for a property that's right for you and your strategy,' Mr Pham said. 'Sometimes there are grants that fit your criteria and that's really good, but it was hard for me. I couldn't afford to buy in Sydney, so I think regional would need to be the place to go – it was a lot cheaper and within my budget as well at that time.' First home owner grants across Australian states are generally for owner-occupiers, who must live in the property for at least six months - thus limiting where many can buy due to work commitments, family and the like. Queensland does allow those who access the FHB grant to rent out a room from day one but they must also be living in it for the required period. With a tonne of options available to him with buyer's agencies, Mr Pham signed up with InvestorKit, putting a $70,000 deposit into securing his first property, a house in Rockhampton bought for $465,500 late last year. 'It was around $90,000 after factoring in stamp duty, costs and agent's fees. Luckily, I'm CA (chartered accountant) qualified, so I'm able to get the LMI (lenders mortgage insurance) waived off. So I was able to save some money there.' 'My savings rate is around 50 to 60 per cent per month. Being at home helps that, but even if I was renting, I think it will probably be like 30 to 40 per cent. The extra savings definitely helps.' 'My parents are super happy. I think they still – like most Asian parents – think maybe I can save more.' He still has not set eyes on his Rockhampton property in Queensland and is already about two months away from buying again regionally, this time in Townsville. 'It was nerve wracking to buy regional and not know the property. I was a bit sceptical that it didn't exist,' he laughs. 'But I think Arjun (Paliwal - InvestorKit head) and his team really reassured me, provided me the reports, gave me videos, updates of everything, so I felt it was more trustworthy after that.' Capital growth, rental income and the ability to borrow more money to purchase his next property are his goals with real estate. His main tips for others looking to do the same were to have a strategy they truly believe works, and build a team around that strategy to help you get to that goal. 'There are so many regional cities out there,' he said.
