Trump Admin Wants to Curtail 'Gain-of-Function' Research — but It's a Cornerstone of Biology, Scientists Say

Trump admin wants to curtail 'gain-of-function' research — but it's a cornerstone of biology, scientists say

Gain-of-function experiments can help researchers get ahead of viruses naturally gaining the ability to infect people in the wild. But they're also used for many other areas of study within biology.

Gain-of-function research is more than just tweaking risky viruses – it’s a routine and essential tool in all biology research

by Seema Lakdawala, University of Pittsburgh and Anice Lowen, Emory University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restrict research on viruses and pathogens called gain-of-function studies. The National Institutes of Health is now taking steps to cancel dozens of such studies – including ones that have been deemed safe by agency scientis…