NIH probes whether Boston University COVID experiments should have triggered review

The National Institutes of Health is now examining whether experiments performed at Boston University should have triggered a federal review, the agency says, after scientists at the school tested strains they created of the virus combining the ancestral and Omicron variants.

Federal health authorities say they are looking into whether the scientists should have sought their permission before undertaking research that could lead to a "gain of function" in the virus gaining new or enhanced abilities, which can be "inherently risky."

However, Boston University says its research followed "all required regulatory obligations and protocols" to safely experiment with the viruses.