Medical researchers with the Chinese army engineered mice with humanized lungs in 2019 to test viruses on them, it has been reported.
The mice, developed using CRISPR gene-editing technology, were mentioned in an April 2020 study which researched their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 illness, Vanity Fair revealed in its bombshell investigation.
Of the study’s 23 co-authors, 11 of them worked for the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, the medical research institute for the Chinese army.
Investigators with the U.S. National Security Council, researching the origins of the pandemic, determined that the mice referenced in the study were created in the summer of 2019 – just months before the emergence of the pandemic.
The National Security Council investigators also reportedly believed they had ‘uncovered important evidence’ supporting the theory that COVID-19 had leaked from a lab and began reaching out to other federal agencies, Vanity Fair reported.
‘We were dismissed. The response was very negative,’ said Anthony Ruggiero, the a senior director at the National Security Council.
Shi Zhengli, the Wuhan Institute of Virology lead researcher on coronaviruses known as the ‘Bat Woman’ for her research on bat viruses, appears to have tested at least two novel coronaviruses on humanized mice in the last three years, Vanity Fair also revealed – citing comments she made to a scientific journal and grant information.
Shi has refuted claims that COVID-19 leaked from a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and that the facility conducts military research.
However, Shi was interviewed in a Scientific American article, first published in March 2020, in which she recounted how she ‘frantically went through her own lab’s records from the past few years to check for any mishandling of experimental materials, especially during disposal.’
Shi was relieved when none of the genetic sequences from patients with COVID-19 matched those of the viruses her team had sampled from bat caves.
‘That really took a load off my mind. I had not slept a wink for days,’ Shi told the outlet.
In January, the State Department released a fact sheet slamming the Chinese Communist Party of ‘systematically’ preventing a ‘transparent and thorough investigation of the COVID-19 pandemic’s origin.’
The State Department acknowledged in the fact sheet at the time that the virus ‘could have emerged naturally from human contact with infected animals.’
‘Alternatively, a laboratory accident could resemble a natural outbreak if the initial exposure included only a few individuals and was compounded by asymptomatic infection,’ the fact sheet reads.
The State Department noted that the Wuhan Institute of Virology has ‘collaborated on publications and secret projects with China’s military’ while ‘presenting itself as a civilian institution.’
‘The WIV has engaged in classified research, including laboratory animal experiments, on behalf of the Chinese military since at least 2017,’ the sheet reads.
News
False Memories Under Fire: Surprising Science Behind What We Really Recall
New research challenges the ease of implanting false memories, highlighting flaws in the influential “Lost in the Mall” study. By reexamining the data from a previous study, researchers found that many supposed false memories [...]
Born Different? Cambridge Scientists Uncover Innate Sex Differences in Brains
Cambridge researchers found that sex differences in brain structure exist from birth, with males having more white matter and females more grey matter, highlighting early neurodiversity. Research from the Autism Research Centre at the University [...]
New study shows risk factors for dementia – virus causes deposits in the brain
Research into the causes of Alzheimer's is not yet complete. Now a new study shows that head trauma can activate herpes viruses and promote the disease. Frankfurt am Main – As a neurodegenerative disease, [...]
Are Machines Truly Thinking? Modern AI Systems Have Finally Achieved Turing’s Vision
Modern AI systems have fulfilled Turing’s vision of machines that learn and converse like humans, but challenges remain. A new paper highlights concerns about energy consumption and societal inequality while calling for more robust [...]
The Surprising Link Between Smell, Sound, and Emotions
New research reveals how smell and hearing interact in the brain to drive social behavior, using mouse maternal instincts as a model. Imagine you’re at a dinner party, but you can’t smell the food [...]
Brain cells age at different rates
As our body ages, not only joints, bones and muscles wear out, but also our nervous system. Nerve cells die, are no longer fully replaced, and the brain shrinks. "Aging is the most important risk factor [...]
Long COVID Breakthrough: Spike Proteins Persist in Brain for Years
Researchers have discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein persists in the brain and skull bone marrow for years after infection, potentially leading to chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) have [...]
Water-Resistant Paper Could Revolutionize Packaging and Replace Plastic
A groundbreaking study showcases the creation of sustainable hydrophobic paper, enhanced by cellulose nanofibres and peptides, presenting a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based materials, with potential uses in packaging and biomedical devices. Researchers aimed to [...]
NIH Scientists Discover Game-Changing Antibodies Against Malaria
Novel antibodies have the potential to pave the way for the next generation of malaria interventions. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified a novel class of antibodies that target a previously unexplored region [...]
Surprising Discovery: What If Some Cancer Genes Are Actually Protecting You?
A surprising discovery reveals that a gene previously thought to accelerate esophageal cancer actually helps protect against it initially. This pivotal study could lead to better prediction and prevention strategies tailored to individual genetic [...]
The Cancer Test That Exposes What Conventional Scans Miss
Researchers at UCLA have unveiled startling findings using PSMA-PET imaging that reveal nearly half of patients diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer might actually have metastases missed by traditional imaging methods. This revelation could profoundly affect future [...]
Pupil size in sleep reveals how memories are processed
Cornell University researchers have found that the pupil is key to understanding how, and when, the brain forms strong, long-lasting memories. By studying mice equipped with brain electrodes and tiny eye-tracking cameras, the researchers [...]
Stanford’s Vaccine Breakthrough Boosts Flu Protection Like Never Before
Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a new method for influenza vaccination that encourages a robust immune response to all four common flu subtypes, potentially increasing the vaccine’s efficacy. In laboratory tests using human tonsil [...]
Water’s Worst Nightmare: The Rise of Superhydrophobic Materials
New materials with near-perfect water repellency offer potential for self-cleaning surfaces in cars and buildings. Scientists from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) have developed a surface [...]
Japanese dentists test drug to help people with missing teeth regrow new ones
Japanese dentists are testing a groundbreaking drug that could enable people with missing teeth to grow new ones, reducing the need for dentures and implants, AFP recently reported. Katsu Takahashi, head of oral surgery at [...]
An AI system has reached human level on a test for ‘general intelligence’
A new artificial intelligence (AI) model has just achieved human-level results on a test designed to measure "general intelligence." On December 20, OpenAI's o3 system scored 85% on the ARC-AGI benchmark, well above the previous AI best [...]
