However, some scientists told PolitiFact that the Wuhan lab did conduct gain-of-function research on bat viruses, some of which was funded by the Ecohealth Alliance grant.
MIT biologist Kevin Esvelt reviewed a
paper that was published with financial assistance from the grant for PolitiFact in February. According to Esvelt, certain techniques that the researchers used seemed to meet the definition of gain-of-function research, but their work was not related to the virus that causes COVID-19. Esvelt told PolitiFact that "the work reported in this specific paper definitely did NOT lead to the creation of SARS-CoV-2," because the genetic sequences of the virus studied in the paper differ from that of the new coronavirus.
Ebright, the Rutgers biologist, also said that the work described in the paper met several definitions of gain-of-function research. "The work is far outside the bounds of normal biomedical research," he added.
On the other hand, Wertheim and Garry said they didn’t believe the paper referenced gain-of-function experiments. "Although this study uses recombinant RNA technology, I would not consider it a gain-of-function study," said Wertheim. The researchers "did not continue to let these viruses propagate in cell lines to adapt and enhance their pathogenicity or transmissibility."
It might seem strange that scientists could disagree over a question as seemingly clear-cut as whether or not a specific experiment involved gain-of-function research. However, the term "gain-of-function" refers to a wide variety of interventions, and the definition has shifted over time, making it easy for scientists to talk past one another.