As the debate continues over the origins of the coronavirus, a fresh row has erupted over virus research being carried out in China using US funds. I

Coronavirus: Was US money used to fund risky research in China?

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2021-07-23 13:30:06

As the debate continues over the origins of the coronavirus, a fresh row has erupted over virus research being carried out in China using US funds.

It's linked to the unproven theory that the virus could have leaked from a lab in Wuhan, the Chinese city where it was first detected.

Republican Senator Rand Paul alleges that US money was used to fund research there that made some viruses (not the coronavirus) more infectious and more deadly, known as "gain-of-function".

This can happen in nature, or it can be achieved in a lab, when scientists modify the genetic code or place organisms in different environments, to change them in some way.

For example, this might involve scientists trying to create drought-resistant plants or modify disease vectors in mosquitoes to make them less likely to pass on infections.

With viruses that could pose a risk to human health, it means developing viruses that are potentially more transmissible and dangerous.