Hearing on Virus Research Funding

AUGUST 3, 2022
Hearing on Virus Research Funding
https://www.c-span.org/video/?522133-1/hearing-virus-research-funding
A panel of scientists and academics discussed the risks and benefits of gain of function research before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats. Presiding the Senate Session are Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI). Invited Scientists are Richard H. Ebright, Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University and Laboratory Director at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Dr. Steven Quay, MD, PhD, University of Michigan, MIT, Stanford University School of Medicine and Kevin Esvelt, PhD in Biochemistry at Harvard University, According to the National Institutes of Health, gain of function research involves the genetic modification and experimentation of viruses and pathogens to increase strength and transmissibility. Richard Ebright, Rutgers University chemistry professor and Waksman Institute of Microbiology laboratory director, said that though “gain of function research can advance scientific understanding…it has no civilian practical applications.” Several topics were discussed during the hearing, including national security concerns posed by such research, the need for strict government oversight, and how gain of function research has been used to identify and mitigate potential virus mutations that could have resulted in possible pandemics.