Microbiology has been revolutionized by observation that most macroorganisms are colonized by diverse communities of microorganisms, prompting many studies that seek to understand why such diversity ...

Gain-of-function research (GOFR) refers to the serial passaging of microorganisms to increase their transmissibility, virulence, immunogenicity, and host tropism by applying selective pressure to a ...

In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restrict research on viruses and pathogens called gain-of-function studies. The National Institutes of Health is now taking steps to ...

Executive function describes a set of cognitive processes and mental skills that help an individual plan, monitor, and successfully execute their goals. The “executive functions,” as they’re known, ...

Activists want it banned. The US government may soon further restrict it. And politicians won’t stop talking about it. So-called “gain-of-function” pathogen research has faced growing scrutiny ever ...

Congress is considering a massive overhaul of the nation’s scientific enterprise, much of it in the name of ensuring competitiveness with China and other nations that are pouring billions into ...

Due to unanswered questions into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, both the U.S. government and scientists have called for a deeper examination into the validity of claims that a virus could ...

For the second time in recent months, Sen. Rand Paul, a conservative Republican from Kentucky, sparred with Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, ...