- Gain of function research involves creating a more more lethal, contagious or mutated strain of a disease to help scientists with such efforts as efforts as developing vaccines, projecting a virus’ path and prepare for a virus being used in biological warfare.
- However, such efforts much be done with preparedness and caution to avoid mishaps.
- Supporters of the theory the pandemic started as a lab leak in China also sometimes point to the possibility the leak was the result of mishandled gain-of-function research.
- Kirby said to a reporter’s question about whether Biden believes the rewards of such research outweigh the risk, the president thinks “it’s important to help prevent future pandemics, which means, he understands that there has to be legitimate scientific research into the sources or potential sources of pandemics so that we understand it, so that we can prevent them, we prevent them from happening, obviously. But he also believes in and this is why he wants the whole of government effort here to understand it, that that research has to be done must be done in a safe and secure manner, as and as transparent as possible to the rest of the world, so that so people know what’s going on. So, I think that’s a fancy way of saying yes.”
