First, a clarification: whether SARS-CoV-2 was laboratory-constructed or manipulated is a separate question from whether it escaped from a lab. The main reason a lab would be working with SARS-like coronavirus is to test drugs against it in preparation for a possible future outbreak from a zoonotic source; those experiments would involve culturing it, but not manipulating it.
But also: If it had been the subject of gain-of-function research, this probably wouldn’t be detectable. The example I’m most familiar with, the controversial 2012 US A/H5N1 gain of function study, used a method which would not have left any genetic evidence of manipulation.
Our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus
and
It is so effective at attaching to human cells that the researchers said the spike proteins were the result of natural selection and not genetic engineering.
I think the article just says that the virus did not undergo genetic engineering or gain-of-function research, which is also what Jim says above.
Not sure if you have seen this yet, but they conclude:
Are they assuming a false premise or making an error in reasoning somewhere?
First, a clarification: whether SARS-CoV-2 was laboratory-constructed or manipulated is a separate question from whether it escaped from a lab. The main reason a lab would be working with SARS-like coronavirus is to test drugs against it in preparation for a possible future outbreak from a zoonotic source; those experiments would involve culturing it, but not manipulating it.
But also: If it had been the subject of gain-of-function research, this probably wouldn’t be detectable. The example I’m most familiar with, the controversial 2012 US A/H5N1 gain of function study, used a method which would not have left any genetic evidence of manipulation.
The article says:
and
I think the article just says that the virus did not undergo genetic engineering or gain-of-function research, which is also what Jim says above.
Ah, yes: their headline is very misleading then! It currently reads “The coronavirus did not escape from a lab. Here’s how we know.”
I’ll shoot the editor an email and see if they can correct it.
EDIT: Here’s me complaining about the headline on Twitter.
Genetic engineering is ruled out, but gain-of-function research isn’t.