Dr. Jay Bhatthacharya: Research That Has Any Capacity of Causing a Pandemic Through Gain-of-Function Work Should Be Banned’

Weiss Should gain a ░░░░░░░░ research be banned BHATTACHARYA ░░░░░░░░ so you have to ░░░░░░░░ careful here There s ░░░░░░░░ gain of function research ░░░░░░░░ is entirely benign has ░░░░░░░░ chance of causing a ░░░░░░░░ and might advance is ░░░░░░░░ tool for advancing human ░░░░░░░░ right So for instance ░░░░░░░░ know you have some ░░░░░░░░ you want expressed so ░░░░░░░░ you can use it ░░░░░░░░ a treatment Insulin is ░░░░░░░░ good example of this ░░░░░░░░ change the DNA of ░░░░░░░░ E coli use the ░░░░░░░░ coli bacteria to produce ░░░░░░░░ insulin cheaply That s ░░░░░░░░ of function there s ░░░░░░░░ wrong with that But ░░░░░░░░ is gain of function ░░░░░░░░ that has the potential ░░░░░░░░ cause a pandemic You ░░░░░░░░ a virus you find ░░░░░░░░ a bat cave in ░░░░░░░░ Coronavirus you add a ░░░░░░░░ element this is not ░░░░░░░░ you add an element ░░░░░░░░ makes it more transmissible ░░░░░░░░ human cells and then ░░░░░░░░ do that in a ░░░░░░░░ where it it might ░░░░░░░░ the lab technician who ░░░░░░░░ it home without knowing ░░░░░░░░ affects their family and ░░░░░░░░ a pandemic that causes ░░░░░░░░ much damage That kind ░░░░░░░░ research or research that ░░░░░░░░ any capacity of causing ░░░░░░░░ pandemic through gain of ░░░░░░░░ work should be banned ░░░░░░░░ think it has no ░░░░░░░░ among the toolkit of ░░░░░░░░ It s essentially what ░░░░░░░░ have is you have ░░░░░░░░ few scientists taking risks ░░░░░░░░ behalf of the entire ░░░░░░░░ population and to do ░░░░░░░░ in an unregulated way ░░░░░░░░ absolutely no sense to ░░░░░░░░ Even if you don ░░░░░░░░ agree that that is ░░░░░░░░ led to this past ░░░░░░░░ I happen to think ░░░░░░░░ does but even if ░░░░░░░░ don t agree going ░░░░░░░░ why would you say ░░░░░░░░ you should take that ░░░░░░░░ There aren t enough ░░░░░░░░ to that kind of ░░░░░░░░ to warrant causing a ░░░░░░░░ that can kill 10 ░░░░░░░░ 20 million people if ░░░░░░░░ include like the lockdown ░░░░░░░░ and cause trillions of ░░░░░░░░ of damage and set ░░░░░░░░ back for so long ░░░░░░░░ knowledge gain would be ░░░░░░░░ that?”