The truth about banning “dangerous gain-of-function” research | by Ethan Siegel | Starts With A Bang! | Mar, 2025

A new bill introduced into the US Senate claims to make us safer. Instead, it would destroy all virology research, and for no real cause.

One of the greatest fears that science brings along with it is the idea that the act of conducting scientific research itself, even if it’s done with noble intentions, could end up creating something incredibly destructive and dangerous to humanity. Uncovering how to split the atom didn’t just result in the development of nuclear power, but also brought with it atomic bombs and the fear of radioactive fallout, contamination, and nuclear war. Advances in biochemistry didn’t just lead to medical treatments, but also to bioweapons that could be used in the theatre of war. And while virology and immunology are incredibly important sciences for understanding and fighting diseases, the great fear is that research in these areas could potentially lead to the creation of a deadly, human-made disease.

It would only make sense — just as we regulate nuclear weapons and their components, and just as we regulate harmful chemicals — that we regulate the type of virological research that could lead to (even the accidental) creation of a novel, deadly pathogen. However, in our attempts to do so, we have…