Argentine researcher Soledad Palameta Miller, a Unicamp professor, was arrested on Monday (23) for suspected theft of biological materials from a high-biosecurity virology lab. Federal Police recovered the samples, missing since February, while her defense denies any crime.
Biotecnologist Soledad Palameta Miller, a Unicamp PhD and professor at the Faculty of Food Engineering (FEA) since 2025, was arrested on March 23 on suspicion of stealing research materials from the Laboratory of Virology and Applied Biotechnology at Unicamp's Institute of Biology. The lab operates at biosafety levels 2 and 3 (NB2 and NB3), handling animal infectious agents like avian pneumovirus and infectious bronchitis virus. It is one of Brazil's 12 NB3 labs, per the Health Ministry, with strict protocols for moderate to high individual and community contagion risks. She was taken to Mogi Guaçu Women's Penitentiary but has been released, Federal Police (PF) said. The virus samples, missing since February, were recovered from labs she used and sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, with Anvisa support. Her lawyer, Pedro de Mattos Russo, told Folha there was 'no theft' and she used the Institute of Biology's facilities due to lacking her own lab. Unicamp stated it remains 'at the disposal of competent authorities to assist in clarifying the circumstances.' Miller coordinates the Food Virology and Biotechnology Lab, researching food- and water-borne viruses.
