Gain-of-function research

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – Gain-of-function research to know whether novel coronavirus come from a lab

Concept –

Gain-of-function research (GoF research or GoFR) is medical research that genetically alters an organism in a way that may enhance the biological functions of gene products.
Gain-of-function research refers to the serial passaging of microorganisms to increase their transmissibility, virulence, immunogenicity, and host tropism by applying selective pressure to a culture.
This research is intended to reveal targets to better predict emerging infectious diseases and to develop vaccines and therapeutics.
In virology, gain-of-function research is usually employed with the intention of better understanding current and future pandemics.
The term first gained a wide public audience in 2012, after two groups revealed that they had tweaked an avian influenza virus, using genetic engineering and directed evolution, until it could be transmitted between ferrets.
A complementary approach — loss-of-function — involves disabling a gene to see what happens to organisms that lack it.
Most virologists say that the coronavirus probably emerged from repeated contact between humans and animals, potentially in connection with wet markets in Wuhan, China, where the virus was first reported.