[hdjrkrmfkt]

"Gain of function" is regularly done to make various viruses "better" so as to study then how to defend against that potential mutation happening naturally.

See the big scandal from some years ago when the H5N1 virus was modified in a lab to be airborne, and the accusations that such research on such a dangerous virus is just reckless.

[bnjms]

That’s interesting but I still don’t understand the motivation. There are plenty of currently successful viruses for research that making one airborne seems like it should be taboo. But again I’m not part of that community so maybe it’s just natural for virologists you want to play with viruses.