The Wuhan Institute of Virology constructed a novel merbecovirus-MERS Gain of Function chimera that contaminated pre-pandemic rice sequencing datasets from Wuhan

Previously, an infectious clone of a novel merbecovirus was described contaminating

pre-pandemic rice sequencing datasets from Wuhan. Of particular concern was

evidence of an additional infectious clone chimera that incorporated the MERS-CoV

spike gene into the novel merbecovirus backbone, which would be expected to increase

infectivity in humans due to enhanced binding to the human DPP4 receptor and the

presence of a furin cleavage site. Sequences flanking the novel merbecovirus genome

are shown here to match pBAC-CMV, a plasmid constructed by Dr Zhengli Shi of the

Wuhan Institute of Virology. The construct is shown to be circular and so transformable

and transfective. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) sequence of the

infectious clone has a 100 % match with a RdRp sequence generated by Shi, ‘isolate

152762’, sampled from lesser bamboo bat Tylonycteris pachypus, collected from

Southern China, and published in Latinne et al (2020). Additional evidence is presented

of genetic manipulation of the chimera MERS-CoV spike sequence using No See’m

technology and the BsaI restriction enzyme. The new information affirms that the

infectious clones were made by Shi, prior to contaminating samples from other labs

during preparation and sequencing. The construction of the chimera may violate the

Biological Weapons Convention, as a protective purpose is elusive. NIAID grant

R01AI110964, awarded to Dr Peter Daszak of EcoHealth Alliance, funded the creation

of pBAC-CMV and, with USAID PREDICT, sampling of isolate 152762 and generation of

its RdRp sequence, thereby contributing directly to dangerous Gain of Function work.

These observations confirm undeclared and dangerous Gain of Function

experimentation on novel bat coronaviruses from Southern China by Zhengli Shi in

Wuhan immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.