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December 8, 2024
At a conference in Japan this week, Shi Zhengli, the renowned virologist who led coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), presented new data that further distances the lab from being the source of the virus that causes COVID-19. Shi, who was at the center of theories suggesting the virus could have escaped from the high-level biosafety laboratory, shared findings that none of the new bat coronaviruses stored in the WIV are closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the global pandemic.
Shi’s research team has been studying coronaviruses found in bats in southern China for decades. In her presentation at the “Preparing for the Next Pandemic: Evolution, Pathogenesis, and Virology of Coronaviruses” conference, held in Awaji, Japan on December 4, she revealed data from 56 new betacoronaviruses, a category to which SARS-CoV-2 belongs. The viruses, collected from 2004 to 2021, include both whole genome sequences and partial data. Shi stated that the new sequences did not show any viruses more closely related to SARS-CoV-2 than those already identified in previous scientific studies.
The new analysis, which has not yet undergone peer review, adds to Shi’s previous assertions that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was neither seen nor studied in her lab. The results appear to support her position, according to evolutionary biologist Jonathan Pekar from the University of Edinburgh. “This just validates what she was saying: that she did not have anything extremely closely related, as we’ve seen in the years since,” Pekar said.
The closest known relatives of SARS-CoV-2 have been found in bats in Laos and southern China’s Yunnan province. However, these viruses diverged from the COVID-19 virus several years, if not decades, ago. Leo Poon, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong, noted that Shi’s findings align with expectations, confirming the absence of closer genetic links between SARS-CoV-2 and the bat coronaviruses in the WIV’s collection.
For years, rumors have circulated that SARS-CoV-2 could have accidentally leaked from the WIV, a theory fueled by the timing of the outbreak and the lab’s research on coronaviruses. In response, Shi has repeatedly maintained that SARS-CoV-2 was never part of her lab’s studies. The release of this new data further reinforces her claim, with Shi stating that the analysis of over 15,000 bat samples collected during her collaboration with EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit led by Peter Daszak, continues to expand the understanding of coronaviruses, without identifying any dangerous new viral strains.
Despite funding challenges and delays caused by US government investigations, EcoHealth Alliance has been working on a broader analysis of bat viruses. Daszak, whose team has been instrumental in the research, emphasized that the project provides critical information on the diversity of coronaviruses, the potential risks of virus transmission to humans, and insights into potential therapeutic targets.
The research, which has yet to be submitted for peer review, is expected to be published soon. While ongoing investigations and political scrutiny continue to surround the WIV’s research activities, Shi’s new data adds to the body of scientific evidence that provides clarity on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, helping to address the lingering concerns about a lab-related outbreak.
doi: 10.1038/d41586-024-03982-2
