A train driver in Germany sounded the alarm on Friday, when he found an unattended styrofoam box containing three vials of liquid.
Federal police sent a bomb squad to investigate, but it left Heidelberg police scratching their heads.
Rather than containing agents of chemical warfare, HuffPost reports the vials contained hamster DNA.
Officers had hoped to crack the case by publicizing the unusual find, but despite intense media interest, the owner has not come forward.
Heidelberg is home to several research centers, including the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.