It's been over a years since our paper was released.
We're proud to say it has withstood every criticism we've heard, and we've kept our ears open this whole time.
SARS-CoV-2 is unusual among wild coronaviruses in exactly the way it is consistent with a synthetic virus.
We're proud to say it has withstood every criticism we've heard, and we've kept our ears open this whole time.
SARS-CoV-2 is unusual among wild coronaviruses in exactly the way it is consistent with a synthetic virus.
I want to extend a special thank-you to the amazing collaborators @VBruttel and @tony_vandongen whose bioengineering expertise was an excellent synergy with my quantitative & computational biology.
Also shout-out to @quay_dr who uncovered & examined this issue independently.
Also shout-out to @quay_dr who uncovered & examined this issue independently.
One connection we didn't mention in 2022:
The only time these two enzymes - BsaI + BsmBI - were used in a coronavirus pre-COVID was in a 2017 paper with Ben Hu, Peter Daszak, Shi ZhengLi et al, acknowledging NIH support.
A key piece of the puzzle.
journals.plos.org
The only time these two enzymes - BsaI + BsmBI - were used in a coronavirus pre-COVID was in a 2017 paper with Ben Hu, Peter Daszak, Shi ZhengLi et al, acknowledging NIH support.
A key piece of the puzzle.
journals.plos.org
When I worked on pathogen spillover pre-COVID as part of a DARPA PREEMPT team, I was examining the origins & evolution of viruses, assessing likely sources, and more.
Daszak et al. proposed DEFUSE to DARPA's PREEMPT call aimed to synthesize a bat SARS CoV like SARS2.
Daszak et al. proposed DEFUSE to DARPA's PREEMPT call aimed to synthesize a bat SARS CoV like SARS2.
It's a bit ironic, and perhaps redemptive, that a former DARPA PREEMPT researcher should help uncover the likely role of DEFUSE collaborators in the creation of SARS-CoV-2.
Needless to say, it has cost me all my connections in the field to do so.
Needless to say, it has cost me all my connections in the field to do so.
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