What is gain-of-function research?

There have been many theories regarding the origin of the novel coronavirus SARS-COV-2 since its outbreak in Wuhan, China, in 2019. The leading three theories are: 1. the virus evolved naturally before spilling over to humans from an infected animal. 2. The virus evolved naturally, but an employee at the lab became infected from a sample and accidentally “leaked” it into the community. 3. Scientists at the lab were manipulating virus samples and accidentally or intentionally released the pathogen.

A new explosive study, published in May 2021, has claimed that Chinese scientists created the virus while working on ‘gain of function research in a Wuhan lab. This has sparked calls for a fresh probe into the origins of COMID-19. The report claimed that the scientists took a natural coronavirus strain found in bats and made some changes to it which turned it into deadly and highly transmissible SARS-COV-2. While this claim remains to be proven, let’s take a look at ‘gain-of function research.

 “Gain of function” is a field of research in which scientists alter pathogens such as viruses in a lab and make them more dangerous or more transmissible to understand their inner workings. It involves growing generations of microorganisms, under conditions that cause mutations in a virus.

These experiments are termed ‘gain of function because the pathogens are made to gain (acquire) a function (quality), such as increased transmissibility.

Such experiments allow scientists to better predict emerging infectious diseases, and to develop vaccines and therapeutics.

This is usually done by editing the gene of the pathogen in such a way that they gain a function predetermined by the scientists.

Serial passaging

Scientists could also do this through a process called serial passaging. Serial passaging involves allowing the pathogen to grow under different circumstances and then observing the changes. For instance, a virus may be grown in one environment, and then a portion of that virus population can be removed and put into a new environment. This process is repeated with as many stages as desired, and then the final product is studied, often in comparison with the original virus.

The recent uproar over SARS-CoV-2 origin has also drawn attention back to a decade-long debate among scientists over whether gain-of function research is too risky to allow.

While the research helps in understanding pathogens and be prepared for future pandemics, there are considerable risks of an experimental pathogen escaping a lab through an accident and causing an outbreak of its own.

Picture Credit : Google

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