The Wuhan Institute of Virology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is working on an inactivated vaccine for COVID-19. The institute houses the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory. As China's first level-four biosafety lab, it has been the focus of suspicion and conspiracy theories since the outbreak began in the city. CGTN's reporter talked to the director of the lab about its work. "I can understand, especially during a severe outbreak, when people want you to come into play yet you appear to be so quiet, and they will have to wonder what role the virus institute is playing in this epidemic." Yuan Zhiming, Researcher of Wuhan Institute of Virology and Director of Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory told CGTN. Reporter: How many teams and researchers at the institute are engaged in emergency scientific research at present? How are they doing now? And have any of them been infected? 记者：目前整个病毒所大概有多少团队、多少科研人员正在肩负着这样一个应急科研攻关的任务，他们现在的状态大概是什么样的？是否有人在疫情期间不幸被感染？Yuan Zhiming: I can tell you for sure that none of our students, retirees, or any of our staff has been infected. A group of staff members chose to stay in Wuhan during the lockdown, which guaranteed that our work was in full swing during the Chinese New Year break. I can hardly count how many teams there are right now. Because now the whole institute is carrying out research in different areas related to the coronavirus. We have major teams in drug development, vaccine research, pathogenesis, and of course some answer the basic questions, including the origin of the virus and the general characteristics of the virus, which is one of our strengths. Some work on the structure of the virus, and the immune responses to it. We’ve devoted ourselves to the research of it since the outbreak began. 袁志明：我可以明确的告诉你，就是病毒所无论是离退休职工、学生，还是我们的工作人员，没有一个感染。一批人员在武汉封城的时候都没有走，所以这样才是保障了，我们在整个春节期间还是满负荷的运行。 实际上现在你问有多少个团队，我都数不清楚。因为现在整个研究所的都在为新冠来开展研究工作，只不过大家研究的方向不一样。 我们还有主要的团队还是在药物的开发、疫苗的研究，还有一些致病机理，当然也还有一些要回答的基本的问题，包括病毒的来源、病毒的基本特性，这是我们的一个强项。还有一些做病毒的结构，还有一些做病毒所诱导的一些免疫反应等等的一些工作。所以实际上是病毒所从新冠出现以来，基本上是全身心的做新冠病毒的研究工作。
Reporter：Is there any research proving that the virus was originated from Wuhan, or let’s say Wuhan Institute of Virology? 记者：目前有相关的研究表明病毒就是源于武汉、或者说源于武汉病毒所吗？Yuan Zhiming: In fact, as people who carry out virus studies, we clearly know what kind of virus research is going on in the institute and how the institute manages viruses and samples. So we said early on, there's no way this virus came out from us— We have a strict regulatory regime, we have a code of conduct for research, so we are confident of that.袁志明：实际上我们很清楚，做这个研究的人很清楚，我们知道研究所它是开展了哪些病毒研究，这个研究所是怎么样管理病毒的，或者管理它的样品的。所以我们一早就说，这病毒绝对不可能是从我们这边出来的。我们有严格的管理制度，有我们的科研行为准则和相关的一些东西，所以我们对这一点充满信心。
Reporter: It is reported that the "virus leaked from the Wuhan virology institute" caused the outbreak. What is your take on it?记者：有报道称正是武汉病毒所的“病毒泄漏”导致了此次疫情，对此您怎么看？Yuan Zhiming: Why are these rumors? Because the Institute of Virology and P4 laboratory are in Wuhan— people can’t help making associations, which I think is understandable. But it’s bad when some are deliberately trying to mislead people. U.S. Senator Tom Cotton said earlier that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Washington Post and several other reporters wrote about the virus coming from the Wuhan lab. They have no evidence, or knowledge for this blame, this is entirely based on speculation. Part of the purpose is to confuse people, to interfere with our anti-epidemic activities, or even our scientific activities. They may have achieved their goal in some way, but as a scientist and a science and technology manager, I have been engaged in laboratory biosafety management and scientific research project management for a long time— and I know it's impossible. I also believe that as long as the pandemic continues, especially in other countries, such doubts and disharmony will not go away.袁志明：为什么有谣言？一方面是因为武汉病毒所和p4实验室身处武汉，别人的联想，这种联想我觉得不可怕。但是你要想到可怕的事情是有人是有意要把大家的事情往这引。美国参议员汤姆·科顿。他很早就说了这个事情，病毒来自于武汉病毒研究所，然后美国华盛顿邮报和另外两个记者专门写了有关病毒来自于武汉实验室的一些东西，他没有任何的证据，他也没有任何的逻辑关系去指责，他完全是凭自己的一种猜测。 他会出于他的一种目的，去混淆视线，去干扰我们的抗击疫情活动，甚至是干扰我们的科技活动。我觉得在某一个程度上，他们也可以达可能也达到他们的目的。但是我是觉得我们自己作为一个科学家，我作为一个科技管理者，我长期从事实验室生物安全管理和科研项目管理，我知道，这是不可能发生的一件事情。我也相信只要是疫情不完，特别是海外的疫情不完，这种怀疑或者这种不和谐的声音，它永远不会消失。
Reporter: There are also reports saying that the novel coronavirus is man-made. What do you think of it? Has anyone mastered such technology in the world? 记者：另外还有报道认为，这一次的2019新型冠状病毒是人工合成制造的产物，对此您怎么看呢？或者说我们现在目前世界范围内是否已经掌握了这样的技术？Yuan Zhiming: In fact, there are many reports in academic journals. From my personal understanding of virology, there is no evidence to prove that the virus has artificial or synthetic traces. Besides, some scientists believe that to synthesize a virus requires extraordinary intelligence and workload. So I have never believed that we humans would have the capability at this time to synthesize such a virus.袁志明：其实学术刊物上也有很多的报道，从我个人对病毒学的了解，如果说人工要合成这个病毒，一个是现在没有任何的证据去证明这个病毒有人工合成的痕迹。 第二个，有些科学家也认为，如果要人工合成这个病毒，科学家的智慧是超过了我们常人的，他的工作量也超过了我们现在人类社会所能够满足的工作量。所以我从来不相信我们人类现在有智慧合成这样一个病毒。
Reporter: What support do the institute’s research outcomes provide for global epidemic prevention, control, and treatment? Will conspiracy theories have an ill effect on international cooperation?记者：病毒所在科研攻关这一块的成果，对于世界范围内的防控和医治提供了哪些支持？阴谋论是否会对国际间合作造成恶劣的影响？Yuan Zhiming: In accordance with the arrangement of the National Health Commission, we shared the whole genome sequence with the WHO, which laid a good foundation for countries around the world to confirm the testing method in the early stage, including the design of mRNA vaccine. Meanwhile we have actively communicated with the WHO, as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization，to report on the latest results of animal model research and development as Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Institute of Laboratory Animal Science are the first in the world to build an animal model.袁志明：我们按照卫建委的统一部署，向WHO公开了我们的全基因组序列，这就为世界各国开展一些早期的检测方法的确定，包括mRNA疫苗的设计，就奠定了一个良好的基础。同时我们也积极的同WHO包括FAO世界粮农组织也做了一些沟通和交流，来汇报我们在动物模型研制方面一些最新成果—— 我们武汉病毒所和医科院实验动物研究所，应该是全世界最早建立动物模型的这种研究的单位。After all, conspiracy theories are not common, The scientific community has a basic judgment on where the pathogen comes from. The American scientific community has been kind to us. We still have some good conversations and communication. The tech community in the United States is strongly opposed to such conspiracy theories, and these kinds of statements that politicians make for political purposes. For example, some people say our laboratory is not well managed, but the director of the Galveston National Laboratory in the United States made it clear that this laboratory is just as well managed as labs in Europe and the U.S. Many other scientists around the world have also joined forces to publish articles in academic journals in the hope that the conspiracy theories will not harm the cooperation of scientists and affect their fight against epidemics. All we can say is to make what we think are the right remarks.刚才说的阴谋论毕竟是很少数的人，我们科技界对这种病原来自于什么地方，它有一个基本的判断，美国科技界对我们还是很好的。我们还是很好的一些沟通和交流。美国科技界也在强烈地反对这种阴谋论，强烈地反对这些政治家，为了出于政治目的而发出的某种声音。他们说实验室，比如说有人说实验室管理不好，我们美国的加尔维斯顿国家实验室的主任，他就明确的说，这个实验室和我们欧洲美国的实验室是一样的，一样的严格管理。 世界上其他的一些科学家也联合在一起，在在学术刊物上发文，希望阴谋论不要伤害到我们的科学家的合作，不要影响科学家的抗疫行动。我们只能说发出我们认为正确的声音。 推荐阅读：世卫组织对美国“撤资”表示遗憾，《柳叶刀》主编称美国此举是“对全人类的犯罪” 当我忙着“甩锅”的时候我在思考些什么？