Trump bans federal funding towards 'dangerous' gain-of-function research

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday banning all federal funding towards dangerous gain-of-function research in China Iran and other countries and blocking all federal funding for foreign research that could cause another pandemic The president signed the order Monday afternoon to improve the safety and guard of biological research in the U S and around the world FLASHBACK COVID ORIGINS HHS SUSPENDS ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE GRANTS AFTER FINDING TAXPAYER FUNDS USED IN RISKY RESEARCHThe White House disclosed the order will drastically reduce the expected for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology Gain-of-function research typically involves modifying a virus to make it more infectious among humans Gain of function research took place at the Wuhan Lab before the COVID- pandemic began The White House revealed the order will protect Americans from lab accidents and other biosecurity incidents such as those that likely caused COVID- and the Russian flu The president s order ends any present and all future federal funding of gain-of-function research in countries with insufficient oversight of research and empowers U S research agencies to identify and end federal funding of any other biological research that could pose a threat to American constituents physical condition masses safety or national safety FLASHBACK US TAXPAYER FUNDS FLOWED TO CHINESE ENTITIES THAT CONDUCTED CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH BEFORE COVID PANDEMIC GAO For decades policies overseeing gain-of-function research on pathogens toxins and likely pathogens have lacked adequate enforcement transparency and top-down oversight the White House disclosed in a fact sheet describing the order Researchers have not acknowledged the legitimate promising for societal harms that this kind of research poses The order according to the White House protects Americans from dangerous gain-of-function research that manipulates viruses and other biological agents and toxins but it does not impede productive biological research that will ensure the United States maintains readiness against biological threats and continues to drive global leadership in biotechnology biosecurity and wellness research President Trump has long theorized that COVID- originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and has consistently pushed for transparency in examining its origins the White House commented This is a emerging story Please check back for updates