Newly-released records show that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been involved in over two dozen cases of research with recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid (r/sNa) molecules without proper approval, and in violation of its own guidelines.
That’s according to the watchdog group Judicial Watch, which who recently obtained 2369 pages of records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Lincoln Dr. Matt Anderson reports an incident that began in March 2018 wherein Dr. Shi-Hua Xiang created an HIV pseudo virus containing Marburg glycoprotein M78 in a university Biosafety Level 2 laboratory, for which he did not have authorization.
NIH Documents
Recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid (r/sNA) molecules are constructed outside of living cells. The molecules are made by joining DNA or RNA segments (natural or synthetic) to DNA or RNA molecules that can replicate within a living cell.
They may also result from replication of previously constructed recombinant molecules.
NIH guidelines detail safety practices and containment procedures for basic and clinical research involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, including creation and use of organisms and viruses containing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules.
Hellbound and Down 