A Chinese scientist, Yunqing Jian, has pleaded guilty to smuggling biological materials but will face no additional jail time beyond the five months she has already served. Jian, a temporary researcher at the University of Michigan, will be deported following her release, marking the end of what a judge described as a 'very strange' case.

Jian, 33, was originally arrested in June for conspiring with her boyfriend to study a prohibited toxic fungus at a campus lab. The pathogen in question, Fusarium graminearum, poses a threat to major crops like wheat, barley, and rice, and its importation into the U.S. is heavily regulated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Martin warned of potential 'devastating harm' but offered no specific evidence of malicious intent.

Jian apologized in court, attribu

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