Trump Administration Moves to Halt Gain-of-Function Research Funding

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The Trump administration is reportedly preparing an executive order to temporarily halt funding for "gain-of-function" research involving pandemic pathogens. This initiative aims to prevent potential future pandemics from emerging due to experiments conducted at federally funded laboratories. The White House is finalizing details of the order, which seeks to pause experiments that increase the transmissibility or lethality of viruses.

Supporters of this research argue it is essential for identifying and preparing for future pandemic threats. However, past presidential administrations have expressed concerns about the risks associated with gain-of-function research, which could lead to accidental pandemics or bioweapons development. Under President Obama, funding for certain gain-of-function experiments was paused, while the Trump administration implemented a policy requiring further review of risky research proposals. The Biden administration later modified this policy to maintain scrutiny.

Despite these frameworks, there have been criticisms regarding their effectiveness. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded controversial projects, including research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which some argue is linked to the emergence of COVID-19.

Future enforcement of any pause on funding may be more stringent under the second Trump administration, with key appointments of individuals who have voiced skepticism about gain-of-function research.

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