Latest news with #pathogens
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE All the times China has smuggled terrifying pathogens into the US to kill Americans or destabilize the nation
Dangerous Chinese bioweapons and pathogens are increasingly being smuggled into the US to sicken Americans, experts warn. In the past several years, US Customs officials have seized hundreds of suspicious packages and vials of blood, animal parts and even cancer cells from Chinese officials arriving on American soil. Your browser does not support iframes.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Chinese nationals accused in U.S. pathogen plot for possible agricultural terrorism
Two Chinese scientists are accused of smuggling pathogens into the U.S., which officials say could be used to seriously damage the country's agricultural industry.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Chinese couple were part of years-long plot to smuggle biological pathogen into US - even once snuck dangerous material in shoe
A Chinese researcher accused of plotting with her boyfriend to smuggle a weapon of 'agroterrorism' into the United States may have successfully hidden pathogens in her shoe on a previous trip. University of Michigan postdoctoral fellow Yunqing Jian, 33, has been charged alongside Zunyong Liu, 34, for the sinister plot allegedly tied to the Chinese Communist Party. Liu arrived in the United States from China in July 2024 carrying four small baggies of Fusarium graminearum - a product responsible for causing billions of dollars worth of damage to livestock, wheat, barley, maize and rice globally each year. FBI boss Kash Patel issued a chilling warning after the first pictures emerged of Jian on Tuesday evening. 'This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP[Chinese Communist Party] is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply,' he said. If successful, the plot 'would have grave consequences... putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.' The duo have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud. In a horrifying twist, the criminal complaint reveals that Jian may have been successful in smuggling pathogens into the United States years earlier. The research student, who reportedly had pledged her loyalty to the CCP, had indicated in messages to Liu that she previously carried a pathogen her shoe on a trip to America in 2022. 'Electronic evidence also shows that Jian has been involved in smuggling packages of biological material into the United States on prior occasions,' the complaint stated. Separately, messages revealed she had arranged for another associate from China to mail her a book with a plastic baggie of the substance hidden inside in early 2024. The horrifying revelations raise questions about what Jian and Liu were hoping to achieve with the pathogen. The complaint also revealed that Jian had received funding from the Chinese government to conduct similar work on the same pathogen while she lived in China. Her boyfriend is employed at a Chinese university where he also studies Fusarium graminearum. The pair had 'discussed the shipping of biological materials and research being done in the laboratory' before he arrived in the United States. Fusarium graminearum's toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock if consumed. 'The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals, including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party, are of the gravest national security concerns,' US Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said. In July 2024, Liu was turned away at the Detroit airport and sent back to China after changing his story during an interrogation about the red plant material discovered in his backpack, per the FBI. He initially claimed he knew nothing about the samples but later admitted he was planning to use the material for research at the lab, the complaint detailed. The FBI said authorities found a scientific article on Liu's phone that was titled, 'Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions.' A week before he arrived in the US, Liu exchanged messages with his partner, who said: 'It´s a pity that I still have to work for you,' according to investigators. FBI agents visited Jian at the campus lab in February, as she told them: '100% no,' when asked if she had been assisting Liu with the pathogen at the lab. But her text messages suggested she was in fact studying the product prior to her boyfriend's arrival in the country. The agency said it found a signed statement on her phone expressing her support for the Communist Party of China. The university does not have federal permits to handle Fusarium graminearum. In a statement, the University of Michigan said it did not receive 'funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals.' 'We strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university's critical public mission.' Gorgon Jr. described the allegations against the 'two aliens' as the 'gravest national security concerns.' Jian appeared in court Tuesday and was returned to jail to await a bond hearing set for Thursday. An attorney who was assigned only for her initial appearance declined to comment, the Associated Press reported. The US does not have an extradition treaty with China, meaning Liu's arrest is unlikely unless he returns. The charges come as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on international students on US campuses, vowing last week to begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in 'critical fields.' China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the United States. 'Under President Trump's leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
As AI rewires microbiology, Clever Culture's lab tech is catching Big Pharma's eye
AI is reshaping microbiology in the labs Big Pharma taps Clever Culture's APAS system Here are ASX biotechs with global health deals Step into a modern microbiology lab today and you might notice something's different. The culture plates are still there, the samples still getting prepped, but there's less microscope squinting and a lot more clicking. That's because bugs haven't changed, but the way we spot them has. Artificial intelligence has quietly become the lab's most tireless worker. AI systems are now scanning culture plates, recognising bacterial growth patterns, and flagging potential pathogens in real time. Where a human might need minutes, or hours, AI can get you results in seconds. The secret to this is image recognition. These new systems are trained to detect tiny details that the human eye might miss: the shape of a bacterial colony, its colour, how it spreads across a plate. Labs are now using these tools to instantly sort through hundreds of samples and tell you what's what. Now, pair that with the bigger mission: identifying infections faster, especially the nasty ones that are resistant to antibiotics. Globally, this shift couldn't come at a better time. There's a shortage of skilled lab staff, and public health threats aren't slowing down. APAS upgrades the lab One standout example of this new wave of lab automation is the APAS Independence, a smart imaging platform built by ASX-listed Clever Culture Systems (ASX:CC5). Already active in hospitals and diagnostics labs across Australia, the US and Europe, the APAS system automates the most time-consuming part of microbiology: reading culture plates after incubation. Instead of a scientist peering at plates one by one, APAS takes high-resolution images, uses trained AI to assess bacterial growth, and feeds the results straight into the lab's system. 'What our product does is we automate that reading part of the workflow,' Clever Culture's CEO Brett Barnes told Stockhead's Nadine McGrath in a recent podcast. 'Rather than manually holding the plates and reviewing them and entering information in, you just load the instrument up with all of the plates. You start a session, and you walk away.' APAS can flag patterns of growth that suggest a pathogen or resistant bug, and sends results straight into the lab's reporting system in real time. And it's fast. We're talking up to 200 plates an hour, which is roughly three times the rate of manual reading. By filtering out the negatives automatically, APAS lets the human experts spend more time on the outliers, where their skill and judgement are actually needed. And what's also clever about APAS is how it fits into a lab's rhythm without overhauling the whole joint. No warehouse-sized robot arms. It's compact, modular, and blends right in. Why Big Pharma's eyeing APAS Big Pharma names like AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb are showing strong interest in this technology, and here's why. When the giants manufacture biologics – things like vaccines, eye drops, even dialysis treatments – contamination isn't just inconvenient, it's catastrophic. These aren't pills you pop with lunch. They're going straight into the bloodstream. So they must be made in ultra-controlled clean rooms, and environmental monitoring (checking those rooms for bacteria or mould) is crucial. 'We're talking about something that needs to be absolutely clean and sterile and free from any kind of contamination,' said Barnes. Trouble is, most of that monitoring still relies on humans squinting at culture plates. That's where APAS fits in. 'It's kind of crazy, because over 99% of those plates have no growth.' And yet, because of how critical the process is, many labs have two scientists verify every single plate. But with APAS, suddenly that laborious process becomes a precise, trackable, digital workflow. 'It sounds really easy, but we've spent (the) best part of 50 plus million dollars developing the technology.' But APAS' real value lies in its ability to standardise quality across massive manufacturing networks. That's exactly why AstraZeneca didn't just trial it, they're now rolling out nine systems across their global sites. 'They've made a decision to standardise APAS for all, at least their largest manufacturing sites globally,' Barnes says. 'Once it's in, it's very sticky.' Same goes for Bristol Myers Squibb, which just placed a second order. Bristol has been trialling APAS since July last year at its US Microbiology Centre of Excellence, and clearly, it likes what it sees. The first unit was for evaluation, but now it's ordered another one for live use at a second site. It's being used to scan 90mm settle plates as part of environmental monitoring, basically checking that drug-making spaces stay sterile. Next, Bristol will be testing APAS on the 55mm contact plates. If that goes well, it could open the door to rolling it out across more of its global sites. 'Our strategy has been to target global pharmaceutical manufacturers that operate multiple sites globally, and represent multi-instrument sales opportunities,' said Barnes. Other ASX biotechs striking global health deals While Clever Culture Systems' APAS is gaining traction in pharma cleanrooms, several other ASX-listed biotech and medtech companies are also forging impactful partnerships with global pharmaceutical giants: Dimerix (ASX:DXB): Secured an exclusive US licensing agreement with Nasdaq-listed Amicus Therapeutics for its Phase 3 kidney disease drug, DMX-200, targeting Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The deal includes an upfront payment of $30 million and potential milestone payments up to $560 million. Neuren Pharmaceuticals (ASX:NEU): Granted Nasdaq-listed Acadia Pharmaceuticals exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise trofinetide, marketed as DAYBUE, for Rett syndrome. Acadia holds a global license for this treatment. Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX): Partnered with NYSE-listed Cardinal Health for the US distribution of its prostate cancer imaging agent, Illuccix. Additionally, Telix has a collaborative development and reseller agreement with GE Healthcare to supply its investigational PET imaging agents. Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CU6): Entered into a commercial-scale supply agreement with US private biotech Nusano, Inc. for the production of copper-64 (Cu-64), a critical isotope for its radiopharmaceutical products. Botanix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:BOT): Received FDA approval for Sofdra (sofpironium bromide) gel for primary axillary hyperhidrosis. The product was originally developed by Tokyo-listed Kaken, which markets it in Japan under the name Ecclock. EMvision Medical Devices (ASX:EMV): Secured a strategic investment from NYSE-listed Keysight Technologies, a global leader in test and measurement solutions. This partnership provides EMVision with a fully funded path to market for its emu device, facilitating accelerated clinical trials and regulatory approvals in the US. Imagion Biosystems (ASX:IBX): Has an ongoing collaboration with Siemens Healthineers to optimise MRI scanning protocols for its MagSense HER2 imaging agent. This partnership supports Imagion's planned multi-site Phase 2 study in the US, aiming to enhance early cancer detection methods. Imricor Medical Systems (ASX:IMR): Entered into a sales collaboration with Philips, granting Philips non-exclusive rights to resell Imricor's Advantage-MR System alongside its MRI scanners in European countries recognising the CE mark. This agreement marks a significant step in expanding Imricor's market presence in Europe. Lumos Diagnostics (ASX:LDX): Has signed two agreements with NASDAQ-listed Hologic, a global leader in women's health. These include a US$10 million intellectual property agreement and a US$4.7 million development agreement to create a next-generation version of Hologic's fetal fibronectin (fFN) test for assessing preterm birth risk.
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Rachel Reeves says new site being explored for Harlow UKHSA lab
New home for secretive research labs is considered Just now Share Save Lewis Adams BBC News, Essex Share Save Public Health England The government purchased its existing site in Harlow for £30m A new site to house one of the UK's most secretive research centres is being considered by the government. Hundreds of millions of pounds have already been spent on land in Harlow, Essex, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the facility could instead open elsewhere in the town. Plans for the centre, which would prepare the UK for dangerous pathogens, have faced years of delays and had costs rise from £530m to £3.2bn. In a letter seen by the BBC, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said a decision on its future would be made in the spending review by 11 June. Writing to the Labour MP for Harlow, Chris Vince, she said the government was "actively considering" options to renew the UK's high containment laboratories. "A new site in Harlow is one of the options being considered," Reeves said. The existing site earmarked for development, once owned by GlaxoSmithKline, was purchased for £30m in 2017. But the project has been paused since March 2023, despite more than £400m having already been spent on it, according to a National Audit Office report. Reuters Rachel Reeves has written to Harlow's Labour MP to let him know a decision would be made on the location for a new high containment laboratory by 11 June In her letter, Reeves said: "The government understands the pressing need for a decision to be made." The chancellor said if the project was scrapped, she would ensure the site was used to achieve "the best possible outcome" for jobs and infrastructure in Harlow. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) officials, who are leading the project, estimate it will open no sooner than 2036 - some 15 years later than planned. The scheme was born out of concerns about the ageing high-containment laboratories in Porton Down, Wiltshire, and Colindale in north London. These sites are essential for detecting and studying the most dangerous pathogens, including Ebola and Covid-19. Vince shared concerns about the project stalling and called for it to be "brought back to the table". He said schoolchildren would benefit from having a "world-class science centre on their doorstep". "If we are successful and the government gives the development the green light, it would be one of the biggest investments in Harlow since its creation in 1947," the MP added. A UKHSA spokesman previously said staff were "hoping for a decision in the coming months". Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
