EcoHealth Alliance Given New $2.9m for Bat Virus Research – But With Ban on Gain-of-Function and Work in China

Introduction

EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit organization that studies the links between human and animal health, has been granted $2.9 million by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study bat viruses. However, the grant comes with restrictions, including a ban on gain-of-function research and a prohibition on working with Chinese institutions.

Background

The grant comes after EcoHealth Alliance’s previous funding was terminated by the Trump administration in April 2020. The organization had been working with the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China to study bat coronaviruses, leading to accusations that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a lab leak. EcoHealth Alliance has denied these claims.

The Grant

The new grant will fund research into bat viruses in the United States and Southeast Asia. However, the NIH has imposed several restrictions on the grant, including a ban on gain-of-function research, which involves enhancing the pathogenicity or transmissibility of a virus. The NIH has also prohibited EcoHealth Alliance from working with Chinese institutions, citing concerns about intellectual property theft and national security.

Reaction

The grant has been met with mixed reactions. Some scientists have criticized the restrictions, arguing that gain-of-function research is necessary to understand how viruses evolve and to develop vaccines and treatments. Others have praised the ban on working with Chinese institutions, citing concerns about the Chinese government’s lack of transparency and cooperation in investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

The grant to EcoHealth Alliance highlights the ongoing debate over gain-of-function research and the role of international collaboration in studying infectious diseases. While the restrictions imposed by the NIH may limit the scope of the research, they also reflect growing concerns about the potential risks of working with dangerous pathogens and the need for greater transparency and accountability in scientific research

Original article Teaser

EcoHealth Alliance Given New $2.9m for Bat Virus Research – But With Ban on Gain-of-Function and Work in China

The U.S. Government has awarded $2.9 million (£2.3m) to the notorious EcoHealth Alliance – considered by many to be linked to the creation of SARS-CoV-2 – to resume bat virus research. But it comes with major restrictions, including a ban on working in China and anything resembling gain-of-function. The Telegraph has more. EcoHealth Alliance, which was working with Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) to collect and study bat viruses before the pandemic, has been allowed to restart experiments after a three-year suspension, but with massive restrictions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has forbidden the team from carrying out any research in China and banned the collection of bat or human samples. It has also prohibited scientists from culturing chimeric viruses, carrying out

Details to EcoHealth Alliance Given New $2.9m for Bat Virus Research – But With Ban on Gain-of-Function and Work in China