If you mean "was there actual scientific research being done here, not biological warfare" then the answer is yes, according to the article. They were studying

If you mean "was there actual scientific research being done here, not biological warfare" then the answer is yes, according to the article. They were studying this fungi in China, and were bringing samples into the US to continue that research. There's no indication the university was aware of what was going on though, and biosafety protocols were NOT being followed here.