A workplace rivalry at a University of Wisconsin-Madison lab has turned into a criminal case involving alleged chemical poisoning. Prosecutors say 41-year-old researcher Makoto Kuroda used lab chemicals to contaminate a coworker's water bottle and shoes at the university's Influenza Research Institute on April 5. He's charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety and tampering with household products, Channel 3000 reports.
According to the complaint, Kuroda admitted taking paraformaldehyde and Trizol from his lab fridge, saying he put small amounts in the coworker's water and mixed more into each shoe. He allegedly texted another colleague, "I did it. I have also informed the person himself." The coworker told campus police that after he left a half-full bottle of water on his desk, he noticed it had a "chemical taste" and smelled of chloroform, the Daily Cardinal reports. The State Lab of Hygiene said the water tested positive for chloroform, which is used in the Trizol mixture researchers at the institute use to break down RNA.
Police say Kuroda told them he was angry over the coworker's promotion and annoyed by what he described as "pet peeves," including his colleague's failure to wear a lab coat and goggles. He told police he wanted his colleague to vomit and suffer skin irritation, the Cardinal reports. Court records show he was released on a $5,000 cash bond, barred from campus labs, and is due back in court next Tuesday
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