Protection from another pandemic

To the Editor:

Gain-of-function research of potentially pandemic pathogens is essentially an effort to create more dangerous variants of known pathogens by increasing their pathogenicity and/or transmissibility between humans. Although experiments are performed on animals, there are some serious ethical concerns: The goal is to create the most dangerous pathogens in a lab, which, if they escape, could kill millions of people.

This is why Protect Nature Now is calling for a ban on all gain-offunction research of potentially pandemic pathogens. We released a report “Gain of Function Research & the Risk of the Next Pandemic” highlighting scientific, ethical, and security issues related to gain-of-function research. There was a moratorium on this type of research in the U.S. from October 2014 to December 2017. We believe that the scientific, security, and ethical concerns warrant the extension of this moratorium into an indefinite ban.

Any accidental release would endanger far more than just scientists working with the pathogen or their immediate community. Like the current pandemic, it could potentially have global consequences. Therefore, it is fair to ask: Is it ethical to expose millions of people to the risk of a potentially deadly pathogen?

Considering that safer methods exist which can collect most of the information provided by gain-offunction research, Protect Nature Now believes that the answer is a resounding no. There is no reason to risk a deadly pandemic when the potential benefits of this research are limited at best.

That is why Protect Nature Now advocates for a global ban on all gain-of-function research of potentially pandemic pathogens. The limited or non-existent benefits it could provide do not justify the risks.

Jeanette Allen

Vallecito