An April 2020 research publication1 on porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) in China reported the successive passage in vitro resulted in virulent attenuation in vivo of the PEDV. The passage number 10 was found to have lower levels of cytokine expression than the passage number 75, indicating that the passage number 10 might inhibit the expression of cytokines. Another research2 about Burkholderia pseudomallei warned the researchers to be cautious regarding the use of data from passaged B. pseudomallei as it undergoes adaptation during the course of serial passages, especially after passage number 5. It is able to modify its antigens during serial passage, thus influencing host immune activation. The tests were done in a BSL2 plus facility that is currently being upgraded to BSL3 practices in Bangkok, Thailand.
Successive passage refers to the process of transferring a microorganism, such as a virus or bacterium, from one host or culture to another in order to propagate or maintain the population. Multiple passages are repetition of a process in which a sample of microorganisms, cells, or tissues are transferred from one growth medium to another. This allows for the replication and expansion of the original sample, which can be used for various purposes such as research, vaccine production, or medical treatment. The goal of multiple passages is to obtain a pure and stable culture of a microbe or cell line for experiments and research purposes. Horizontal gene transfer is the transfer of genetic material from one organism to another that is not its offspring. This can occur through mechanisms such as conjugation, transduction, and transformation. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a common way for microorganisms to acquire new traits, such as antibiotic resistance, and can occur both in nature and in laboratory cultures. However, repeated passages can also result in genetic and phenotypic changes in the sample, which is why it is important to carefully monitor and control the conditions during the passage process.
Laboratory Leaks
One may think the control is always associated with the human intentions and the knowledge of the ethics of science, regardless who gave the funds and the aim of the research. Nevertheless, accidents may happen and some laboratory leak cases can be seen here:
- The 2018 laboratory leak of smallpox virus at the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology in Russia.
- The 2014 Ebola virus leak at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, USA.
- The 2011 anthrax leak at the US Army's Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, USA.
- The 2007 SARS virus leak at the Institute of Virology in Germany.
- The 2004 botulinum toxin leak at the Fort Detrick laboratory in Maryland, USA.
- The 2002 foot-and-mouth disease virus leak at the Institute for Animal Health in the UK. 2004 SARS virus leak in a laboratory in Beijing, China, which raised concerns about the safety of handling dangerous pathogens.
- 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, linked to a laboratory in Guinea where samples of the virus were stored.
- 2019 Measles virus leak in a research lab at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
- 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, caused by a leak from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, where the virus is believed to have originated.
Bioweapon
The scenario of preparing bioweapons may also comes from such passages, it is a weapon that uses biological agents (e.g. bacteria, viruses, toxins) to harm or kill people, animals, or plants. Characteristics of bioweapons include potentially deadly, easily spread, difficult to detect, difficult to treat, long-term effects, and dual-use nature.
In the context of bioweapons, HGT can be used to enhance the virulence, antibiotic resistance, or other traits of biological agents that could be used as weapons. For example:
- Transferring antibiotic resistance genes from one bacterium to another can make the recipient bacterium resistant to antibiotics, making it harder to treat.
- Transferring virulence genes from one virus to another can make the recipient virus more dangerous and potentially deadly.
- Transferring toxin genes from one bacterium to another can increase the potency of the toxin produced by the recipient bacterium.
In some cases, HGT can occur naturally, but it can also be intentionally induced by researchers in a laboratory setting. The potential for HGT to be used for malicious purposes makes it important for researchers to carefully control and monitor the distribution and use of biological agents in the laboratory.
Should we trust in the researches, the scientists, or the fund giving organizations? Humans survive the evolution because the nature intervenes, but with the advanced of knowledge such as these, we will never know for sure when those will be the double edge swords to us and our generations ahead.
In the end, Nature will wipe out humans by means of their own stupid weapons, under the distant eye of God.