Simply ask the likes of convicted U.S. chemist Charles Lieber, the mastermind behind “liquid computing,” which can create nanocircuits from seemingly nothing, and a major pioneer in the area of nanowire meshes for the brain.

Charles Leiber also ran a lab at Wuhan.

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/harvard-university-professor-and-two-chinese-nationals-charged-three-separate-china-related

Summary of the Case

Undisclosed China Ties:

Lieber, a renowned Harvard nanoscientist, signed a five-year contract with the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) around 2011 to be a "strategic scientist" in a Chinese talent program.

Financial Details:

As part of the agreement, he received a monthly salary of up to $50,000, living expenses, and millions in research funding to set up a joint lab at WUT.

The Charges:

He was convicted of: Making false statements to federal authorities (FBI, DoD, NIH) about his involvement in the Chinese program.

Filing false income tax returns by failing to report his income from WUT.

Failing to file reports for a foreign bank account in China.

Area of Research: Lieber's research focused on nanowires and nanobiotechnology, not gene editing (genome editing).

The Verdict: He was found guilty on all six counts in December 2021 and sentenced to time served, six months of home confinement, a fine, and restitution in April 2023.