Bobby. wrote on Dec 17
th, 2024 at 11:49am:
SadKangaroo wrote on Dec 17
th, 2024 at 9:25am:
Jovial Monk wrote on Dec 17
th, 2024 at 7:25am:
So I guess not all gain-of-function research is bioweapon related.
I'd flip it the other way. Gain of function research is overwhelmingly not about bioweapons.
But it's not without risk.
It's very risky and I have tried but I have failed to see
how it could be of any benefit to the human race.
Did you try though? It takes 30 seconds to find this info:
Gain-of-function (GoF) research involves studying organisms, often pathogens, by enhancing their properties, such
Quote:as transmissibility, host range, or virulence. The goal is typically to better understand how certain traits evolve or to predict how a virus or bacteria might behave in the future, enabling the development of effective countermeasures like vaccines or treatments.
Types of Gain-of-Function Research:
Virological Studies: Altering viruses to assess their pandemic potential or resistance to treatment.
Agricultural Studies: Modifying plants or pests to understand resilience mechanisms or vulnerabilities.
Basic Science: Exploring genetic pathways to understand disease mechanisms or evolutionary processes.
The Benefits of GoF:
Pandemic Preparedness: It helps identify mutations that could make a virus more dangerous, enabling preemptive action.
Drug and Vaccine Development: By mimicking potential future strains, scientists can develop therapeutics that are robust against a wider range of threats.
Improved Understanding of Pathogenesis: Insights into how diseases function can inform broader biomedical research.
As I said, it's not without risk of Accidental Release or Bioterrorism, but they're the risks, not the goals, and when conducted responsibly under strict biosafety protocols, it can yield invaluable insights for global health.
Do the benefits outweigh the risks, so far yes. Especially when the notion of COVID-19 being a result of the lab leak is only at this stage a hypothetical theory for which there is no evidence to support, no matter how many time you repeat the claim.