A groundbreaking microscope at Harvard Medical School could lead to breakthroughs in cancer detection and research into longevity. But the scientist who developed computer scripts to read its images and unlock its full potential has been in an immigration detention center for two months — putting crucial scientific advancements at risk. The scientist, the 30-year-old Russian-born Kseniia Pertova, worked at Harvard’s renowned Kirschner Lab until her arrest at a Boston airport in mid-February.

A Harvard scientist whose work on imaging is crucial to a new generation of cancer early detection techniques has been locked up under Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest for around two months, NBC News on Monday evening. "The scientist, the 30-year-old Russian-born Kseniia Pertova, worked at Harvard’s renowned Kirschner Lab until her arrest at a Boston airport in mid-February," reported Jean Lee. "She is now being held at ICE’s Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana, and fighting possible deportation to , where she said she fears persecution and jail time...