Trump Signs EO Banning Federal Funding For ‘Gain-Of-Function’ Research

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that effectively bans federal funding for gain-of-function research, which is now believed to be the catalyst of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the White House.

In relation to biosecurity threats, if a modified virus escapes a lab, such as what occurred prior to the COVID-19 virus spreading globally, it could cause yet another global pandemic. In addition to COVID-19, The H5N1 avian flu experiments in the early 2010s also alarmed many due to the creation of highly transmissible strains.

Gain of function research deals with genetically altering organisms to enhance the biological functions of gene products. The research is intended to better predict emerging infectious diseases in order to develop vaccines.