Research funding for potentially hazardous viruses halted by Trump.
In a surprising move, President Donald Trump has decided to reign in research on potentially dangerous viruses, deeming the studies a threat to public health and demanding their immediate discontinuation, even globally. The decision, announced on the White House website, cited concerns over insufficient oversight during research under the previous administration of President Joe Biden, which backed experiments in the field of natural sciences in China and other countries with limited US supervision or safety standards.
Trump firmly believes the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. His executive order from May 2025 effectively halts federal funding for so-called "dangerous gain-of-function (GoF)" research, which involves enhancing the transmissibility or virulence of pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. This directive aims to ensure that federally-funded experiments do not inadvertently increase the danger posed by pathogens or toxins.
This decision, though, has sparked concerns among scientists and public health experts. Gain-of-function research is crucial for understanding how viruses can evolve to become more transmissible or harmful to humans, vital for pandemic preparedness. On-going studies, funded by government agencies, have employed GoF methods to investigate the potential for viruses like H5N1 avian influenza to spread via airborne transmission in mammals, study SARS-like coronaviruses for spillover potential and immune escape, and inform vaccine design and early-warning systems for responding to emerging infectious threats.
Critics argue that rather than enhancing biosecurity, Trump's policy could weaken the US's ability to prepare for and respond to new pandemic threats by stalling or halting critical investigations and deterring future research into highly pathogenic agents. Moreover, the order's international implications indicate an intent to control safety of virus research globally under US oversight, potentially compromising public health and national security.
- The medical-conditions community and public health experts are alarmed by President Donald Trump's policy-and-legislation move to halt federal funding for gain-of-function research, as this science is essential for understanding and preparedness against viruses that can become more transmissible or harmful.
- Politics have entered the realm of science with Trump's policy, as his decision to rein in research on potentially dangerous viruses has sparked concerns that it could weaken the US's ability to prepare for and respond to new pandemic threats.
- Trump's policy-and-legislation on potentially dangerous virus research extends beyond US borders, raising questions about the requested global oversight of medical-conditions research, which may impact public health and national security on a broad scale.
