President Donald Trump is finalizing an executive order that would significantly impact scientific research in the United States.
According to The Daily Caller, Trump is poised to sign a sweeping executive order by May 6 that would ban gain-of-function research, which involves making viruses more dangerous in laboratory settings.
The order would prohibit experiments that increase the infectivity or pathogenicity of any virulent and replicable pathogen. Gerald Parker, who heads the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy within the National Security Council, is leading the initiative.
The federal agencies that have historically supported gain-of-function research, particularly the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have been excluded from the drafting process.
The anticipated executive order represents a significant shift from previous policies. Parker, who formerly led the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, has advocated for moving oversight of such research away from the National Institutes of Health. Former CDC Director Robert Redfield has supported this position, emphasizing the need for independent commission review.
Several key issues remain unresolved in the draft order. Officials are still determining whether violators should face criminal charges as bioweaponeers. The order's final language must also clearly define what constitutes gain-of-function research to ensure legal enforceability.
Questions persist about potential exemptions for lower-risk research, such as studies using non-replicative pseudoviruses that allow scientists to study viral evolution without creating pandemic risks.
Rutgers University microbiologist Richard Ebright, a longtime critic of high-risk virology research, shared his perspective on the implications:
Gain-of-function research on potential pandemic pathogens caused the COVID-19 pandemic, killing 20 million and costing $25 trillion. If not stopped, gain-of-function research on potential pandemic pathogens likely will cause future lab-generated pandemics.
The push for stricter regulations follows concerning revelations about previous research. Documents obtained through FOIA requests in 2023 showed that EcoHealth Alliance, while seeking Pentagon funding in 2018, downplayed plans to conduct gain-of-function experiments on SARS-like viruses in Wuhan, China. In January 2025, both EcoHealth Alliance and its president Peter Daszak were barred from receiving federal funding, though they avoided criminal charges.
The timing of the executive order coincides with previously planned policy changes. The Biden administration's 2024 guidance on gain-of-function research was set to take effect May 6, but scientific organizations report receiving no implementation directions from NIH, suggesting the new executive order will take precedence.
Some experts argue that current oversight mechanisms create conflicts of interest. The 2024 guidance allowed researchers, universities, and funding agencies like NIH to implement their own reviews, which critics argue discourages proper reporting of potentially dangerous research.
A biosecurity expert, speaking anonymously due to employment concerns, suggested alternative accountability measures: "I don't know that criminal penalties are necessary. But we do need more sticks in biosafety as well as carrots. For instance, biosafety should be a part of tenure review and whether you get funding for future work."
The imminent executive order represents Trump's most significant intervention in scientific research policy. The White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, integrated into the National Security Council, is steering this dramatic shift in how the United States approaches potentially dangerous viral research. The administration aims to implement these changes by early May, establishing new guidelines that would fundamentally alter how scientists conduct pathogen research while addressing longstanding concerns about laboratory safety and pandemic prevention.
