Overview

• President Trump has signed an executive order banning present and future federal funding for gain-of-function research in countries of concern, including China and Iran.
• The order empowers U.S. agencies like NIH to identify and terminate funding for research deemed a threat to public health or national security.
• The White House asserts that a lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research is the most likely origin of COVID-19, reinforcing the need for stricter biosecurity policies.
• The policy aims to prevent lab-related incidents while ensuring that legitimate biological research critical for pandemic preparedness continues unimpeded.
• The order mandates the development of new safety standards and oversight mechanisms by federal agencies to govern high-risk biological research.