The top Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to Boston University President Robert Brown this week asking for information about recently released research showing scientists have created a new strain of COVID-19. rice field.
Researchers at the university’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL) set out to compare the Omicron mutant to the original strain of COVID-19.
They created hybrids by fusing the spike protein from the Omicron mutant to the original strain, and infected mice with the Omicron mutant, the original strain, and the new hybrid version.
No mice died from the Omicron variant, but 80% died from the new hybrid strain and all mice died from the original virus.
“In K18-hACE2 mice, omicron causes mild, nonfatal infections, whereas viruses carrying omicron S cause severe illness with an 80% mortality rate,” the researchers wrote. the studyhas not been peer-reviewed.
The study was immediately criticized, but the university defended the study.
“This study is not a gain-of-function study, which means it did not amplify the Washington state SARS-COV-2 virus strain or make it more dangerous. I did,” said the university. statement last week.
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Not everyone was convinced that the research was risk-free. Stephen Salzberg, a professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, argued that the study qualifies as gain-of-function research.
“Scientists have obtained sequences from two different strains of the Covid-19 virus, one of which has created a new strain that is relatively mild, much more contagious, and much more deadly. ‘ writes Salzberg. forbes“As many scientists (and others) have pointed out, such research carries great risks, especially if an accidental leak in the lab could trigger a new pandemic, Millions of people could die.”
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House Republicans now provide Boston University with all proposals and progress reports related to the study, each National Institutes of Health grant referenced in the study, a list of all funding streams for the study, and the University’s We’re asking for a copy of the safety protocol. They also question whether the study needs to be approved by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Boston University did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.