CU officials cooperate with alleged theft investigation

Cornell officials are fully cooperating with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office in Syracuse in the investigation into the alleged theft of research materials by a scientist formerly employed at the university.

Qingqiang Yin, 38, was detained at a security checkpoint at Syracuse International Airport July 28 when vials containing unknown biological substances were found in his luggage and in that of his wife and 4-year-old daughter, who were accompanying him. Yin had been employed as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Animal Science in Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences from July 15, 2001, to July 14, 2002.

Federal prosecutors charged Yin July 29 with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States government by transporting stolen property and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in interstate or foreign commerce. A federal indictment against him is expected to be announced. At the request of his defense counsel, a detention hearing scheduled for Aug. 2 was adjourned indefinitely. He is being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center jail.

His wife, Zheng Quihong, 36, was charged by Syracuse officials with endangering the welfare of a child for allowing her daughter to carry some of the allegedly stolen material. She pleaded innocent to the endangerment charge July 30. On Aug. 2 her case was resolved when Syracuse City Court Judge Kevin Young agreed to adjourn the case for six months in contemplation of dismissal, and she was released from the Onondaga jail.

Among research conducted in the laboratory in which Yin worked is a project with the goal of improving animal nutrition and reducing phosphorus excretion in animal waste. Environmental pollution of excess phosphorus in animal waste, especially from swine and poultry, is a serious problem for farmers.

The research team is developing new enzymes to improve the ability of swine, poultry and preruminant calves to better digest phosphorus and reduce its excretion. The environmentally important research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with additional funding from the Cornell Biotechnology Program, the Cornell Research Foundation and industry.

Cornell has licensed the enzyme technology. The research program has two patents pending and researchers are in the process of initiating contract talks with industry for the manufacture of its final enzyme product. If effective, the enzyme developed through this research will be commercially valuable.