ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University officials said today (July 29) that they 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 Cornell.

Qingqiang Yin, 38, was detained at a security checkpoint at Syracuse International Airport July 28 when vials containing unknown substances were found in his luggage and in that of his wife and 4-year-old daughter, who were accompanying him.

Yin, who is still in federal custody in Syracuse, was 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.

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 pre-ruminant 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 a final enzyme product. If effective, the enzyme developed through this research will be commercially valuable.

Cornell is one of the leading research universities in the nation. In 2001, it received $253 million in federal research funds.

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