How seriously does one take Dr Li-Meng Yan? And how seriously does one take the paper Unusual Features of the Sars-CoV2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification Rather Than Natural Evolution and Delineation of its Probable Synthetic Route, published by her and co-authors, under the aegis of the Rule of Law Society and the Rule of Law Foundation, New York, on September 14? As the title suggests, the paper claims the coronavirus was man-made, in a laboratory.
The paper was uploaded on open-source research repository Zenodo, run by CERN, and was reported by Hindustan Times on Wednesday (bit.ly/33uFyy4). It wasnt as widely reported as Dr Yans comments in Loose Women, a segment of a TV show hosted by a UK TV channel, on which she pretty much said the same thing, albeit without any of the scientific arguments -- unsubstantiated ones -- presented in the paper.
Heres what that paper claimed:
One, ZC45, a bat virus, or a closely related variant or mutant, bears a striking similarity with Sars-CoV2, as shown by genome sequencing, with a 94%-100% similarity of key viral proteins.
The spike protein of Sars-CoV2 is essentially a trimer (essentially three parts) each of which has an S1 and S2 part with a furin cleavage site at the boundary between the two. Other research has already established that the human cellular enzyme furin cleaves, or breaks, the S1 and S2 unit at the cleavage site, and that the S1 unit then attaches to the ACE receptor, another protein found on the surface of most human cells. This binding then facilitates the entry of the viral protein into human cells. The virus ability to bind with the receptor, and the presence of the cleavage site that responds to a cannon human enzyme, are the reasons Covid-19 is as infective as it is.
Click here for complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic
Both the furin cleavage site, and the binding ability of the spike protein with the ACE2 receptor arent natural, the paper argued.
In their preface to this scientific hypothesis, the authors also claim that the process of creating such a virus in a laboratory could take only six months. They ask for further research and investigation into the origin of the virus. Even if their hypothesis is subsequently proven erroneous, this is a recommendation that no can argue with the origin of the virus needs to be investigated, not so much to assign blame (although there will be some that too), but to prepare for the next virus and the next pandemic.
Dr Yan, currently in the US, where she fled to in late April, is a virologist who used to work at the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health, and who has for long claimed that China knew of the virus and the fact that human-to-human transmission of the infection was happening, long before it let on. Her claims on the virus being man-made are more recent.
Interestingly, a March paper in Nature titled The Proximal Origin of Sars-Cov2, authored by Kristian G Andersen of Californias Scripps Research Institute, argued, again picking on the same two distinctive features of Sars-CoV2, that the virus was natural. The viral protein showed a high affinity to bind with the receptor, they said, but this interaction wasnt ideal or optimal. In plain English this meant that if anyone had set out to engineer the virus, they would have picked the ideal binding relation, not just another optimal one. The paper also said that there were other coronaviruses that had similar cleavage sites and that this wasnt unique to Sars-CoV2.
However, the two papers differ in one significant aspect. The one published in Nature said the genetic data irrefutably show that Sars-CoV2 is not derived from any previously used virus backbone. Dr Yans said (again, without substantiation that) a genomic sequence analysis reveals that ZC45, or a closely related bat coronavirus, should be the backbone used for the creation of Sars-CoV2.
Also read|Over 5,000 Indians died in West, East Asian countries amid Covid-19 pandemic: Govt informs Parliament
Dr Yans claims are also being seen through a political lens, with scientists in the US pointing out that the two non-profits that published the paper were linked to Steve Bannon, former Trump adviser and former executive chairman of the far-right Breitbart News, casting aspersions on the studys findings.
Clearly, only further research and investigation can shed light on the origin of the virus which has thus far infected 29,927,685 and killed 942,564 around the world. India ended Wednesday with 5,115,846 cases and 83,230 deaths.
But as Vivek Wadhwa, a columnist for this paper, a top technology thinker, and distinguished fellow at Harvard Law Schools Labor and Worklife Program, said in a recent article in Foreign Policy: If genetic engineering wasnt behind this pandemic, it could very well unleash the next one. Thats because, genetic engineering with all its potential for good and bad has become democratised, Wadhwa wrote.
Thanks to a technological revolution in genetic engineering, all the tools needed to create a virus have become so cheap, simple, and readily available that any rogue scientist or college-age biohacker can use them.
Original post:
Covid-19: What you need to know today - Hindustan Times
- genetic engineering summary | Britannica - September 13th, 2024
- The great gene editing debate: can it be safe and ethical? - BBC.com - September 13th, 2024
- Anti-biotechnology campaigners embrace classic crops, are suspicious of hybrid varieties and claim genetic modification violates nature. Heres a... - September 13th, 2024
- Will IL-11 Control Extend Human Life One Day? Early Results are Tantalizing - Securities.io - September 13th, 2024
- Viewpoint: As New Zealand edges toward relaxing its ban on gene edited foods, experts weigh in - Genetic Literacy Project - September 13th, 2024
- Farmers in Brazil and Argentina ramp up growing of genetically-modified drought tolerant wheat that can grow in subtropical regions - Genetic Literacy... - September 13th, 2024
- Scientist explains why we'll never have a real Jurassic Park - and people are crestfallen - indy100 - September 13th, 2024
- Genetic engineering techniques - Wikipedia - January 9th, 2024
- 20.3: Genetic Engineering - Biology LibreTexts - January 9th, 2024
- Genetic engineering - DNA Modification, Cloning, Gene Splicing - December 13th, 2023
- Global Gene Editing Market Poised for Significant Growth, Projected to Reach $14.28 Billion by 2027 - EIN News - December 13th, 2023
- Principles of Genetic Engineering - PMC - National Center for ... - May 17th, 2023
- Quitting: A Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseveranceand How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free - Next Big Idea Club Magazine - May 17th, 2023
- 18 Human Genetic Engineering - Clemson University - March 29th, 2023
- Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering - Benefits and Risks - March 29th, 2023
- How artificial skin is made and its uses, from treating burns to skin cancer - South China Morning Post - March 29th, 2023
- Genetic Engineering - Meaning, Applications, Advantages and Challenges ... - March 13th, 2023
- Revolutionary Specialty Enzymes Transform Industries, Projected to Reach $2.2 Billion by 2031 - Billion-Dollar - EIN News - March 5th, 2023
- Explained: What is genome editing technology and how is it different from GM technology? - The Indian Express - April 2nd, 2022
- Scribe Therapeutics to Participate in Upcoming Goldman Sachs The New Guard: Privates Leading the Disruption in Healthcare Investor Conference - Yahoo... - April 2nd, 2022
- San Antonio Zoo In Discussions on Woolly Mammoth Project - iHeart - April 2nd, 2022
- Xenotransplantation trials will require adjusting expectations, experts say - STAT - April 2nd, 2022
- 5 Interesting Startup Deals You May Have Missed In March: Restoring The Woolly Mammoth, Faux Seafood And Lots Of Bees - Crunchbase News - April 2nd, 2022
- Synlogic to Present Data on Phenylketonuria and Homocystinuria Programs at the Society for ... - KULR-TV - April 2nd, 2022
- The Bay Area food tech industry is creating more than vegan burgers. Heres whats next - San Francisco Chronicle - April 2nd, 2022
- Student Startup Teams to Compete For $110000 Cash Prize Pool in U of A's Heartland Challenge - University of Arkansas Newswire - April 2nd, 2022
- Should we test for differences in allergen content between varieties of crops and animal species? - Open Access Government - April 2nd, 2022
- Genetic Engineering - Courses, Subjects, Eligibility ... - December 22nd, 2021
- Scientists Used CRISPR Gene Editing to Choose the Sex of Mouse Pups - Singularity Hub - December 22nd, 2021
- Report calls for broad public deliberation on releasing gene-edited species in the wild - EurekAlert - December 22nd, 2021
- RNA and DNA Extraction Kit Market Study | Know the Post-Pandemic Scenario of the Industry - BioSpace - December 22nd, 2021
- Opinion: Allow Golden Rice to save lives - pnas.org - December 22nd, 2021
- It's time for an alliance of democracies | TheHill - The Hill - December 22nd, 2021
- Aridis Pharmaceuticals Announces a Pan-Coronavirus Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail That Retains Effectiveness Against the Omicron variant, other COVID-19... - December 22nd, 2021
- 2021: when the link between the climate and biodiversity crises became clear - The Guardian - December 22nd, 2021
- Wuhan lab leak now the most likely cause of Covid pandemic and the truth WILL come out, experts tell MPs... - The US Sun - December 22nd, 2021
- Biotech ETFs That Outperformed Last Week - Yahoo Finance - December 22nd, 2021
- Human genetic enhancement - Wikipedia - October 5th, 2021
- Viewpoint: Part 1 Opposition stirred by anti-GMO advocacy group propaganda fading in the developing world, as more countries embrace crop... - October 5th, 2021
- Amyris Partners with Inscripta to Enhance Development of Sustainable Ingredients Using the Onyx Genome Engineering Platform - WWNY - October 5th, 2021
- Kingdom Supercultures raises $25m to expand Non GMO suite of microbes to unlock new flavors, textures, and functionalities in food & beverage -... - October 5th, 2021
- Fact check: Genetically engineering your salad with the COVID-19 vaccines? We're not there yet. - USA TODAY - October 5th, 2021
- Making the Transition from an Academic to a Biobusiness Entrepreneur - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - October 5th, 2021
- Is The New York Times Finally 'Learning To Love GMOS'? - American Council on Science and Health - October 5th, 2021
- Gene editing, joke theft and manifesting - The Week UK - October 5th, 2021
- Opinion: Saving lives through real social justice - Agri-Pulse - October 5th, 2021
- Science, business and the humanities: CP Snow's 'Two Cultures' sixty years on - TheArticle - October 5th, 2021
- Probiotic Yeast Engineered To Produce Beta-Carotene - Technology Networks - April 17th, 2021
- In the US, Imminent Release of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes To Fight Dengue - The Wire Science - April 17th, 2021
- CRISPRoff: A New Addition to the CRISPR Toolbox - Technology Networks - April 17th, 2021
- A Massive New Gene Editing Project Is Out to Crush Alzheimer's - Singularity Hub - April 17th, 2021
- Grammar of the Genome: Reading the Influence of DNA on Disease - Baylor University - April 17th, 2021
- We cannot let China set the standards for 21st century technologies | TheHill - The Hill - April 17th, 2021
- First GMO Mosquitoes to Be Released in the Florida Keys - Singularity Hub - April 17th, 2021
- Novavax to Participate in University of Oxford Com-COV2 Study Comparing Mixed COVID-19 Vaccine Combinations - BioSpace - April 17th, 2021
- AmunBio and NorthShore University to Advance Cancer Immunotherapy with Engineered Oncolytic Viruses - OncoZine - April 17th, 2021
- StrideBio Announces a Multi-technology License and Master SRA with Duke University to Advance Next-generation Gene Therapies - BioSpace - April 17th, 2021
- ThermoGenesis : The History of Cell and Gene Therapy - marketscreener.com - April 17th, 2021
- EU's refusal to permit GMO crops led to millions of tonnes of additional CO2, scientists reveal - Alliance for Science - Alliance for Science - February 14th, 2021
- New species of fly named after Singanallur Tank - The Hindu - February 14th, 2021
- Son of Monarchs Pays Homage to the Beauty of Migration - Sierra Magazine - February 14th, 2021
- Podcast: TIME's 2020 Kid of the Year, Gitanjali Rao - All Together - Society of Women Engineers - February 14th, 2021
- Geoengineering: What could possibly go wrong? Elizabeth Kolbert's take, in her new book - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - February 14th, 2021
- An Introduction to PCR - Technology Networks - February 14th, 2021
- Science Talk - Evolution, cancer and coronavirus how biology's 'Theory of Everything' is key to fighting cancer and global pandemics - The Institute... - February 14th, 2021
- 22nd Century Group and KeyGene Launch Advanced Cannabis Technology Platform for Accelerated Development of New Varieties of Hemp/Cannabis Plants with... - February 14th, 2021
- Aleph Farms and The Technion Reveal World's First Cultivated Ribeye Steak - PRNewswire - February 9th, 2021
- Researchers create rice that captures more CO2 with 30 percent more yield - FoodIngredientsFirst - February 9th, 2021
- Interview: Elizabeth Kolbert on why well never stop messing with nature - Grist - February 9th, 2021
- Is Biotechnology the Answer to a More Sustainable Beauty Industry? - Fashionista - February 9th, 2021
- New Jersey arts and entertainment news, features, and event previews. - New Jersey Stage - February 9th, 2021
- CollPlant Announces Development and Global Commercialization Agreement with Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, for rhCollagen in Dermal and Soft... - February 9th, 2021
- Taysha Gene Therapies Announces Collaborations to Advance Next-Generation Mini-Gene Payloads for AAV Gene Therapies for the Treatment of Genetic... - February 9th, 2021
- A new tool to investigate bacteria behind hospital infections - MIT News - February 9th, 2021
- Outlook on the CRISPR Gene Editing Global Market to 2030 - Analysis and Forecasts - GlobeNewswire - February 9th, 2021
- Novavax Announces Start of Rolling Review by Multiple Regulatory Authorities for COVID-19 Vaccine Authorization - GlobeNewswire - February 9th, 2021
- Global Lab-On-A-Chip Market Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast 2027||Players-Perkin Elmer Corporation, IDEX, Thermo Fisher... - February 9th, 2021
- Freeline Presents Data on its Gaucher Disease and Fabry Disease AAV-Based Gene Therapies at the 17th Annual WORLDSymposium - PharmiWeb.com - February 9th, 2021
- Global Bacterial and Plasmid Vectors Market Report 2020: Market is Expected to Recover and Reach $0520 Million in 2023 at a CAGR of 15.48% - Forecast... - January 12th, 2021
- mRNA Technology Gave Us the First COVID-19 Vaccines. It Could Also Upend the Drug Industry - TIME - January 12th, 2021