and the institution had no plan to proceed with the study. [Bold added for emphasis].[1]
As explained above in detail, this was a materially misleading statement from NIAID as the experiment was formally proposed and approved in 2015. This again raises a question whether the NIAID official had knowingly made the misleading statement to STAT (and therefore the public) or had the NIAID official been misled by others at NIAID.
June 30, 2023, Letter from Dr. Moss[2]
On June 30, 2023, HHS forwarded a letter signed by Dr. Moss addressed to Chair Rodgers. This letter also included the following misleading statements:
- “We received approval from the Institutional Biosafety Committee to carry out related experiments in which genes from the more virulent mpox clade I were replaced with the corresponding genes from the less virulent clade IIa virus.”Analysis of the accuracy of Dr. Moss’s response: This statement contains a material omission of fact.Dr. Moss’s team received approval from the IBC not just for replacing genes in clade I with genes from clade II, but also were simultaneously approved to conduct experiments replacing genes in clade II with genes from clade I.Of note: Dr. Moss also did not disclose that he received the approval in 2015, making it more difficult for the Committee to understand the timeframe of approval.
- “I will consider additional gene exchanges that might include transfers in the opposite direction or involve clade IIb. I have not planned or proposed such experiments for approval since we have not completed the current experiments.” [Bold added for emphasis].
- ↑ Helen Branswell, House GOP Inquiry over Gain-of-Function Research Targets a Scientific Giant, STAT News (June 22, 2023), https://www.statnews.com/2023/06/22/bernard-moss-niaid-gain-of-function-research-inquiry/.
- ↑ Letter from Dr. Bernard Moss to The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republican Leader, et al, H. Comm. on Energy & Commerce, (June 30, 2023) (included in Appendix I).
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