Before the winter of 2020, most people had never heard of this type of research, which goes on in labs around the world. But over the past few years, experts have made the compelling argument that it is so risky it could endanger humanity.
And yet, the Biden administration remains supportive of gain-of-function research “to help prevent future pandemics” as long as it’s done safely and with transparency, according to John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications. …
As a longtime science writer, I have investigated much of the evidence—or lack thereof—behind health officials’ claims during the pandemic. This article won’t tell you how Covid-19 started (although, on balance, I’d put my money on a lab leak).
But I can tell you what I’ve learned about gain-of-function research—what it does, where it’s happening, why it’s happening, and why I don’t feel any safer knowing the answers.
[I think the outbreak of a global pandemic that caused the deaths of millions from a lab doing GOF research is a pretty clear answer to this question. — Ed]
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