Going viral

Readers of Britain's biggest newspaper, the Daily Mail, were confronted with a spine-chilling headline. "Boston University CREATES a new COVID strain that has an 80% kill rate." 

The tabloid reported that scientists working in a biolab at Boston University had engineered a new variant of the coronavirus which would combine the earlier, more deadly strain of Covid with the later, more contagiousSpreads from one organism or person to another. one. This created a "supervirus" with a refined ability to spread and kill.

This research might sound terrifying, but it is actually common. Called "gain-of-function" research, it is used to understand how a virus might mutateChange in form. in the future so that scientists can develop treatments before the mutation happens.

Researchers have to report their plans in full to the relevant authorities, and also have to follow a long list of biosafety rules.

Some say the research is important, and it is scarier not to study fatal pathogensAn organism that causes disease to its host.. The world has more than a trillionOne thousand times bigger than a billion. species of microorganisms and we hardly know any of them. 

Scientists working in biolabs are currently researching HantavirusesA group of viruses normally carried by rodents that can cause both mild flu-like symptoms and serious illness. , the Zika virus, the Nipah virus and dengue to prevent these fatal viruses from affecting the global population. If you have not heard of these hazardous illnesses yet, many argue, you might have those scientists to thank.

Others are sceptical. Even with secure health and safety measures, lab-engineered viruses carry the risk of being spread. In Taiwan last year, a lab assistant working with Covid-infected mice was bitten and caught Covid-19, exposing 110 people outside of the lab.

Is it worth risking human life for science? SocratesConsidered by some to be the greatest philosopher in history, Socrates is credited with developing the whole notion of critical reason. said that "the unexamined life is not worth living" - that we should seek knowledge above all else. Others worry that the research could lead to the end of humanity.

Yes: Scientists do not undertake experiments like this for fun. These experiments help to prevent the spread of diseases and create treatments and will ultimately save far more lives than they risk. Outbreaks linked to lab malpractice are rare.

No: We are readily giving scientists the tools to create a biological weapon which could wipe out life on earth, without sufficient regulation. If the Boston strain of the coronavirus had escaped the lab, it could have wiped out millions of people.

Or... There needs to be more consistent regulation of these labs in the wake of the pandemic. Labs in Europe and the US are subject to far tighter regulations than those in Asia, for example.