BU Researcher Creates Hybrid COVID Virus, Causes Friction With Government

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The lab-created virus combines elements of the Omicron variant with the original virus. The results were more deadly to mice than Omicron, but less deadly than the original virus.

A recent study conducted by Boston University scientists involving a hybrid version of the COVID-19 virus has caused controversy in the scientific community. The study appears to have caught one of the research’s primary sources of funding off-guard, generated headline Researchers claim to have created a more deadly version of COVID-19.

The paper containing this study is publish online Friday. However, this is a preprint, meaning it has not yet been peer-reviewed.

This work, conducted at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories in BU, revolves around the creation of chimeric or hybrid viruses.

Scientists took the spike protein from the virus’s Omicron variant and attached it to the original strain of virus that spread around the world in 2020. The goal was to study why Omicron has such a low rate of severe infections.

The new fusion virus was then compared to naturally occurring Omicron virus samples. This was done to determine whether mutations in the omicron spike protein are responsible for the reduced severity and increased immune evasion capacity of omicron.

However, the hybrid virus created by BU researchers killed 80% of infected laboratory mice and was more lethal than the natural Omicron variant. It is important to note that the original virus killed 100% of laboratory mice exposed to it.

Ultimately, the researchers concluded that mutations in the omicron spike protein allow variants to evade immunity, but are not responsible for the reduced severity of omicron.

The study has reportedly caused friction between the scientists conducting it and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which funded the study.NIAID’s Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Emily Abelding, Head of , said: statistics The BU group’s original grant application did not make it clear that this particular work would be done. STAT reported that it did not reveal that it could enhance viable pathogens.

When asked whether the BU researchers should have told NIAID of their desire to do this work, Erbelding reportedly replied, “I hope so.”

She also told STAT that NIAID will have “conversations” with the BU team in the next few days.

NIAID policy stipulates that proposals to conduct research that could enhance potential pandemic agents should be referred to a committee that analyzes the risks and benefits of such work. I’m here. The policy is called the P3CO framework, according to STAT.

“What we wanted to do was discuss in advance exactly what they wanted to do so that it would meet what the P3CO framework defines as ePPP, an enhanced pathogen of pandemic potential. If we had, we would have submitted a package and a committee convened by HHS, the Assistant Secretary’s Office for Preparedness and Response.That’s the layout of the framework and that’s what we would have done. is,” Erbelding told STAT.

BU has responded to media reports that characterized the work as making COVID-19 more deadly.

“First, this study is not a gain-of-function study, which means it did not amplify or make the Washington state SARS-COV-2 virus strain (the original 2020 virus) more dangerous,” the university said in a statement. mentioned in boston herald“In fact, this study reduced the risk of viral replication.”

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