Articles on Research oversight

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The governing structure of the National Science Foundation partially insulated science from political control. Evgeny Gromov/iStock via Getty Images Plus

How much should politics influence science, and vice versa? National Science Board’s ousting resurrects an existential debate

The Trump administration fired the entire board that oversees the National Science Foundation, raising an age-old question about the separation of science and state.
Gain-of-function experiments in the lab can help researchers get ahead of viruses naturally gaining the ability to infect people in the wild. KTSDesign/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Gain‑of‑function research is more than just tweaking risky viruses – it’s a routine and essential tool in all biology research

From cancer immunotherapy and antibiotics to GMO crops and pandemic surveillance, gain of function is a cornerstone of basic research.
Security precautions, thoughtful facilities design, careful training and safe lab practices help keep pathogens isolated. Boston University Photography

We work with dangerous pathogens in a downtown Boston biocontainment lab – here’s why you can feel safe about our research

The microbiologist who directs the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University explains all the biosafety precautions in place that help him feel safer in the lab than out.

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