GOF is what got us into the COVID mess. I don’t see the advantage of manipulating pathogens to infect humans that most likely never would have except for the manipulation. To me this is mad science. Why would we want to try to inflict more infectious diseases on humans? God save us from these lunatics!!
Maybe I can take this inquiry across the street to my 'new' neighbor. Met him around Christmas. He introduced himself as "****", a scientist"!? I thought that was interesting. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I see zero benefit for GAF research. The pathogens created are not in nature so there’s no reason to create vaccines or therapies for them. We have already lived through the “accidental” release of one of these and it changed the world and not for the good either. Americans lost civil liberties that have been real hard to claw back and even what we got back is nowhere near what we are supposed to be guaranteed before that. Whether it’s HHS or DARPA or DOD there has been a worldwide treaty on chemical weapons which you’d think would include GOF. The conspiracy we are still living with since Covid has been even worse as answers came slower than molasses in winter. We are still unwinding what happened and not one person has been charged or indicted over it. In fact right now Covid investigation is most likely even on the back burner because the nation got riled up over several other issues since and those responsible skate free with millions in their pockets. If we had any accountability about anything in this country over those who are in power and make decisions this sort of thing probably doesn’t happen. Long prison sentences do happen to be a deterrent. Thanks for a report that won’t ever make the MSM at least those that read you are that much more in the loop.
If I'm reading this right, the big hole is that we're only talking about federally funded research. What about private research? And if reporting requirements are too restrictive or embarrassing, the Faucis of the world will find a way around it like via NGOs.
My opinion is that GOF is another example so called scientists doing something simply because they can and not necessarily because there is any true value to doing so.
If I understand this adequately, the question is whether HHS is adequately informing about procedures it applys for gof it is approves. The premise being, if all are better informed it will lead to greater confidence and support for such research.
While this, as covered, might play a small part, as a member of the public, I have more immediate issues on this topic.
Learning of track record of clear benefits attributable to gof research.
How are/what are the criteria used to identify significant pathogens and assess whether they could have a meaningful risk of impact/occuring.
Learning of strategies used to assure lab modifications will mirror natural changes the pathogen is likely to demonstrate. Or indeed match outcomes of enemy labs developments aimed at biowarfare.
Learning of how prevention, if any and mitigation strategies are developed and employed to best address the artificially developed pathogens.
In terms of general pubic knowledge and confidence, IMO there is a lot more that needs to be considered to further public confidence.
"Is GOF the ONLY method by which researchers can assess an organism and it's pathogenicity?"
and
"Would our current level of knowledge of pathogens have been significantly different with GOF?"
I recall quite clearly the rhetoric during the Cold War that this country's development of bioweapons was necessary because the Soviets were engaged in the same, and while such research was both immoral and dangerous, it was was critical to stay ahead of our enemy.
I may be wrong, but all those decades of research haven't led to vaccines or treatments of those so far non-occurring natural or manmade epidemics.
Covid, while clearly being one of those GOF organisms deliberately or accidentally released, was actually a bust as far as being a bioweapon. It killed only the frail elderly and the already sick and left the young and fit quite alone. The massive disruptions in our society were almost entirely political effects and not biological.
And the vaccine developed to combat the virus was and is a bust as well.
Doesn't say much for the value of this "research".
I don't get it. Why is the best we can get under our hard fought WIN, getting President Trump elected, is to Rely on Congress? This is not acceptable. And we're losing Sen. Ernst, who fought hard to stop EcoHealth Alliance funding. (link below) Citizens need to know these Crazy Pandemic Causing experiments are happening in their communities. Why in Sept did we pour $ into a Bat Lab?
Link - Sept 2025 - article - NIH Dir Jay Bhattacharya approves more big $$ for CSU's (Ft.Collins, CO) huge Bat-lab, yet, as the article states, he had DISAPPROVED of the lab a year prior!
(quote from the linked article) "It is intended to host a breeding colony for bats that can be used for virus research in the U.S., including a who’s who of menacing viruses such as Ebola, Nipah and coronaviruses."
*read in this article, Sen. Joni Ernst's remarks. "It's like a bad sequel." btw - Sept 2025, she announced she will not seek re-election.
We have so many other problems such as a high percentage of the population being overweight. I think we should stick with eat better food and get more exercise and keep our previously great institutions such as government, schools, businesses functioning well. Trying to predict epidemics is challenging and possibly hopeless. Look at aids. Did we see that coming? If we keep up looking around the world for small outbreaks, understand them and then confront them, isn’t that a good methodology which has worked somewhat successfully? Nature is no doubt much more infinitely creative than we can understand. Look at the millions of successful entities in the biosphere, plants, trees, insects, birds, animals, us, etc. unbelievable actually. Thanks Dr. Malone for keeping us in the questioning cycle.
All the recommended "should's" don't seem to have any teeth. If there is no action taken by HHS or Congress without legislation to force the issue, what is the point? This is not a new issue and is only getting more dangerous as advances in GOF technology unfold. As has been said before, the chances of accidental release increases as more research is allowed. What about the incident in Spain with the wild hogs? Nary a peep. That's all we need is more people like Fauci, willing to outright lie about the effects, which has gone on since before the HIV/Aids debacle. Looks like no accountability enforcement works well for these Svengali's.
Yes. One example - CSU, Colorado State University, aka, Wuhan of the West. They have had issues at CSU's labs over the years, and now are building a HUGE new bat lab.
Link - (quote form this report), "UPDATE (1/12/26): Citing WCW investigations, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) sent a letter to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya demanding that funding for the new CSU bat lab be cut “immediately.”
*Relying on Congress as stated in Doc M's stack today- is not good enough. Sorry, had to laugh when I read that.
Will the Citizens of Fort Collins, make a stink, object, even know about it? NO. This town is very Far Left. Has been for a long time. They are fed, 24/7, a diet of Lefty propaganda.
Yes. Beautiful town. I lived there for a while in the 90s when it was changing big time, I believe due to an influx of Californians escaping the mess they made there.
What we must be alert for is,all the wailing from "concerned scientists" warning about how,this leaves us vulnerable to bio attack. Back in the,day scientists did concern themselves with ethical questions,but I saw a shift begin with the asilomar conference where their proposed dangers of unregulated,gene manipulation was little more than an effort by those with commanding leads provided by big fed bucks vigorously attempting to keep that lead and access to the inevitable lucrative patents this work would provide.
From HHS it is called the deep state. This is a perfect example of bureaucrats doing as then please and making their own rules.
How long has the GAO existed? A long time. Why did DOGE find so many things our money was being wasted illegally spent on that it shouldn't have and nobody knew? The real suckers are the American citizens.
It appears mankind is determined to exterminate himself, either by improving weaponry or improving the lethality of bio germ warfare. Why we can’t just stay in our own preferred corners of the world and “get along” never ceases to flummox me. Our ignorant kids keep accusing us of “stealing other peoples’s land” and are taught nothing in school about the “conquer or be conquered” mindset man has had throughout world history, thus making our youth easy fodder for violent protests and even more senseless destruction. Excessive greed is destined to be the downfall of man and the end of the earth as we know it. We keep playing checkers with the animals on this planet. Our answer to a waning species (spotted owl) is to massively exterminate the other owl species that is their threat….never mind that such thoughtless actions will cause other animal problems in time, such as large increases of the vermin they currently feed on. Just look at Australia and the deadly poisonous toads that were brought in by men to control another problem species. Now the toads are everywhere on that entire continent poisoning the indigenous animals. On and on it continues. We never seem to learn that our interfering with the “natural order” of things destroys more than it improves. We have a conceited, false sense of god-like control, when we never actually had any “control” to begin with.
In general, we are not very good stewards of this globe, either for man or animal… are we?
The root of that money tree just keeps digging deeper to access its source of lucre.
I remember a book out sometime in the 70s that had a 'Me First' vibe. From there, many of us Baby Boomers did an extension and latched onto the idea of a 'trophy for every child', Everyone Must be Equal philosophy.
I remember those 'stars' in my eyes. Why couldn't everyone get along and live peacefully. Why couldn't we see the 'good' in each individual and work out our differences. I will Still work to live that practice, but my eyes are wide open to the reality of evil at this point and evil comes in the form of that above referenced lucre. Too many now worship That god. That is what I see spiraling out of control in all areas of our lives.
There is a book by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. called "Power VS. Force that gives information on % of the world population that calibrate energetically to Love. 0.4 percent. Our levels of consciousness aren't keeping up with the passage of time.
I love this idea of sharing more information on how risk is assessed and mitigated. I have worked in a BL-3 facility. At the time (back in the 80’s) AIDS was in it’s infancy of discovery. I didn’t work on AIDS but someone else in the same facility was. My work was on dermatophytes. I was VERY careful and followed strict guidelines for our research.
I have been involved in the write up of grants (just given my input - never as a Principle Investigator). I was always very SAFETY conscious (I had my family I was going home to every day). However, I did feel that I was somewhat more concerned than others may have been about following the rules.
It is one thing to write up the guidelines, another all together to enforce them.
Touched on one of my fav subjects....proper technique. As I mentioned before, those of us trained in proper procedures on desktop probably more conscious of safe procedure than those who waltz straight into bio hood work. And that self consciousness of safety is more important than I believe is,being stressed today
Actually sounded more like they only took 3 years to do the same study with nothing to offer (transparency???), but were able to secure funding to do the same study twice in 3 years…
GOF is what got us into the COVID mess. I don’t see the advantage of manipulating pathogens to infect humans that most likely never would have except for the manipulation. To me this is mad science. Why would we want to try to inflict more infectious diseases on humans? God save us from these lunatics!!
Maybe I can take this inquiry across the street to my 'new' neighbor. Met him around Christmas. He introduced himself as "****", a scientist"!? I thought that was interesting. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I see zero benefit for GAF research. The pathogens created are not in nature so there’s no reason to create vaccines or therapies for them. We have already lived through the “accidental” release of one of these and it changed the world and not for the good either. Americans lost civil liberties that have been real hard to claw back and even what we got back is nowhere near what we are supposed to be guaranteed before that. Whether it’s HHS or DARPA or DOD there has been a worldwide treaty on chemical weapons which you’d think would include GOF. The conspiracy we are still living with since Covid has been even worse as answers came slower than molasses in winter. We are still unwinding what happened and not one person has been charged or indicted over it. In fact right now Covid investigation is most likely even on the back burner because the nation got riled up over several other issues since and those responsible skate free with millions in their pockets. If we had any accountability about anything in this country over those who are in power and make decisions this sort of thing probably doesn’t happen. Long prison sentences do happen to be a deterrent. Thanks for a report that won’t ever make the MSM at least those that read you are that much more in the loop.
If I'm reading this right, the big hole is that we're only talking about federally funded research. What about private research? And if reporting requirements are too restrictive or embarrassing, the Faucis of the world will find a way around it like via NGOs.
My opinion is that GOF is another example so called scientists doing something simply because they can and not necessarily because there is any true value to doing so.
If I understand this adequately, the question is whether HHS is adequately informing about procedures it applys for gof it is approves. The premise being, if all are better informed it will lead to greater confidence and support for such research.
While this, as covered, might play a small part, as a member of the public, I have more immediate issues on this topic.
Learning of track record of clear benefits attributable to gof research.
How are/what are the criteria used to identify significant pathogens and assess whether they could have a meaningful risk of impact/occuring.
Learning of strategies used to assure lab modifications will mirror natural changes the pathogen is likely to demonstrate. Or indeed match outcomes of enemy labs developments aimed at biowarfare.
Learning of how prevention, if any and mitigation strategies are developed and employed to best address the artificially developed pathogens.
In terms of general pubic knowledge and confidence, IMO there is a lot more that needs to be considered to further public confidence.
Baby steps…..
Unasked are the questions:
"Is GOF the ONLY method by which researchers can assess an organism and it's pathogenicity?"
and
"Would our current level of knowledge of pathogens have been significantly different with GOF?"
I recall quite clearly the rhetoric during the Cold War that this country's development of bioweapons was necessary because the Soviets were engaged in the same, and while such research was both immoral and dangerous, it was was critical to stay ahead of our enemy.
I may be wrong, but all those decades of research haven't led to vaccines or treatments of those so far non-occurring natural or manmade epidemics.
Covid, while clearly being one of those GOF organisms deliberately or accidentally released, was actually a bust as far as being a bioweapon. It killed only the frail elderly and the already sick and left the young and fit quite alone. The massive disruptions in our society were almost entirely political effects and not biological.
And the vaccine developed to combat the virus was and is a bust as well.
Doesn't say much for the value of this "research".
I don't get it. Why is the best we can get under our hard fought WIN, getting President Trump elected, is to Rely on Congress? This is not acceptable. And we're losing Sen. Ernst, who fought hard to stop EcoHealth Alliance funding. (link below) Citizens need to know these Crazy Pandemic Causing experiments are happening in their communities. Why in Sept did we pour $ into a Bat Lab?
Link - May 6, 2025 - article - Trump paused GOF for 120 days. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-pause-gain-of-function-research-united-states-120-days/
Link - Sept 2025 - article - NIH Dir Jay Bhattacharya approves more big $$ for CSU's (Ft.Collins, CO) huge Bat-lab, yet, as the article states, he had DISAPPROVED of the lab a year prior!
(quote from the linked article) "It is intended to host a breeding colony for bats that can be used for virus research in the U.S., including a who’s who of menacing viruses such as Ebola, Nipah and coronaviruses."
*read in this article, Sen. Joni Ernst's remarks. "It's like a bad sequel." btw - Sept 2025, she announced she will not seek re-election.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/oct/14/donald-trumps-nih-plows-ahead-bat-lab-fuel-virus-research-us/
Link -Sen Ernst - 2024-Defunding EcoHealth Alliance. https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-efforts-defunded-chinas-wuhan-institute-now-ecohealth-alliance
We have so many other problems such as a high percentage of the population being overweight. I think we should stick with eat better food and get more exercise and keep our previously great institutions such as government, schools, businesses functioning well. Trying to predict epidemics is challenging and possibly hopeless. Look at aids. Did we see that coming? If we keep up looking around the world for small outbreaks, understand them and then confront them, isn’t that a good methodology which has worked somewhat successfully? Nature is no doubt much more infinitely creative than we can understand. Look at the millions of successful entities in the biosphere, plants, trees, insects, birds, animals, us, etc. unbelievable actually. Thanks Dr. Malone for keeping us in the questioning cycle.
All the recommended "should's" don't seem to have any teeth. If there is no action taken by HHS or Congress without legislation to force the issue, what is the point? This is not a new issue and is only getting more dangerous as advances in GOF technology unfold. As has been said before, the chances of accidental release increases as more research is allowed. What about the incident in Spain with the wild hogs? Nary a peep. That's all we need is more people like Fauci, willing to outright lie about the effects, which has gone on since before the HIV/Aids debacle. Looks like no accountability enforcement works well for these Svengali's.
Are universities still conducting gain of function research on animals? And if so, which ones?
Yes. One example - CSU, Colorado State University, aka, Wuhan of the West. They have had issues at CSU's labs over the years, and now are building a HUGE new bat lab.
Link - (quote form this report), "UPDATE (1/12/26): Citing WCW investigations, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) sent a letter to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya demanding that funding for the new CSU bat lab be cut “immediately.”
https://blog.whitecoatwaste.org/2026/01/12/nih-continues-to-waste-millions-building-wuhan-west-bat-lab-at-colorado-state-university/
Link - CHDefense, May 18, 2023 - a very good article with links. Don't miss the section titled, "CSU does ‘not have a good track record’ on safety"
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/nih-funded-bat-research-lab-leak-colorado
*Relying on Congress as stated in Doc M's stack today- is not good enough. Sorry, had to laugh when I read that.
Will the Citizens of Fort Collins, make a stink, object, even know about it? NO. This town is very Far Left. Has been for a long time. They are fed, 24/7, a diet of Lefty propaganda.
Yes. Beautiful town. I lived there for a while in the 90s when it was changing big time, I believe due to an influx of Californians escaping the mess they made there.
What we must be alert for is,all the wailing from "concerned scientists" warning about how,this leaves us vulnerable to bio attack. Back in the,day scientists did concern themselves with ethical questions,but I saw a shift begin with the asilomar conference where their proposed dangers of unregulated,gene manipulation was little more than an effort by those with commanding leads provided by big fed bucks vigorously attempting to keep that lead and access to the inevitable lucrative patents this work would provide.
From HHS it is called the deep state. This is a perfect example of bureaucrats doing as then please and making their own rules.
How long has the GAO existed? A long time. Why did DOGE find so many things our money was being wasted illegally spent on that it shouldn't have and nobody knew? The real suckers are the American citizens.
It appears mankind is determined to exterminate himself, either by improving weaponry or improving the lethality of bio germ warfare. Why we can’t just stay in our own preferred corners of the world and “get along” never ceases to flummox me. Our ignorant kids keep accusing us of “stealing other peoples’s land” and are taught nothing in school about the “conquer or be conquered” mindset man has had throughout world history, thus making our youth easy fodder for violent protests and even more senseless destruction. Excessive greed is destined to be the downfall of man and the end of the earth as we know it. We keep playing checkers with the animals on this planet. Our answer to a waning species (spotted owl) is to massively exterminate the other owl species that is their threat….never mind that such thoughtless actions will cause other animal problems in time, such as large increases of the vermin they currently feed on. Just look at Australia and the deadly poisonous toads that were brought in by men to control another problem species. Now the toads are everywhere on that entire continent poisoning the indigenous animals. On and on it continues. We never seem to learn that our interfering with the “natural order” of things destroys more than it improves. We have a conceited, false sense of god-like control, when we never actually had any “control” to begin with.
In general, we are not very good stewards of this globe, either for man or animal… are we?
The root of that money tree just keeps digging deeper to access its source of lucre.
I remember a book out sometime in the 70s that had a 'Me First' vibe. From there, many of us Baby Boomers did an extension and latched onto the idea of a 'trophy for every child', Everyone Must be Equal philosophy.
I remember those 'stars' in my eyes. Why couldn't everyone get along and live peacefully. Why couldn't we see the 'good' in each individual and work out our differences. I will Still work to live that practice, but my eyes are wide open to the reality of evil at this point and evil comes in the form of that above referenced lucre. Too many now worship That god. That is what I see spiraling out of control in all areas of our lives.
There is a book by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. called "Power VS. Force that gives information on % of the world population that calibrate energetically to Love. 0.4 percent. Our levels of consciousness aren't keeping up with the passage of time.
I love this idea of sharing more information on how risk is assessed and mitigated. I have worked in a BL-3 facility. At the time (back in the 80’s) AIDS was in it’s infancy of discovery. I didn’t work on AIDS but someone else in the same facility was. My work was on dermatophytes. I was VERY careful and followed strict guidelines for our research.
I have been involved in the write up of grants (just given my input - never as a Principle Investigator). I was always very SAFETY conscious (I had my family I was going home to every day). However, I did feel that I was somewhat more concerned than others may have been about following the rules.
It is one thing to write up the guidelines, another all together to enforce them.
Touched on one of my fav subjects....proper technique. As I mentioned before, those of us trained in proper procedures on desktop probably more conscious of safe procedure than those who waltz straight into bio hood work. And that self consciousness of safety is more important than I believe is,being stressed today
Actually sounded more like they only took 3 years to do the same study with nothing to offer (transparency???), but were able to secure funding to do the same study twice in 3 years…