Clarifying what gain-of-function research really is can help clarify why it is an essential scientific tool. What is gain of function?

Typically, gain-of-function research aims to breed germs that are more viral or transmissible than previous strains in order to understand how it spreads, and what could counter such germs.

President Trump signed an executive order banning federal funding for ‘gain of function’ research. Scientists are split on whether these virus experiments are essential or too risky to continue.

But it does not mean that gain-of-function experiments are inherently risky or the purview of mad scientists.

Clarifying what gain-of-function research really is can help clarify why it is an essential scientific tool. What is gain of function?

Clarifying what gain-of-function research really is can help clarify why it is an essential scientific tool.