Lab Leak Fever with Philipp Markolin
Added 2025-10-18 05:04:36 +0000 UTCJoin Matt and Chris as they take a plunge in the controversy-ridden pool of the lab leak theory, accompanied by biochemist-turned-author Philipp Markolin. Philipp details his journey into the abyss of lab leak lore and media discourse, documenting how thorough research was pushed aside in favour of conspiratorial discourse. For those who dream of a world where science triumphs over sensationalism, this episode is your bittersweet symphony.
Comments
I’m going to fill my “little free library” out front with dozens of copies.
Liz Tily
2025-10-21 17:38:41 +0000 UTCNo, you got it correct originally Sam. The bat sarbecoviruses have not adapted to humans. But because of evolutionary pressures, they have evolved very broad RBD binding affinities to a wide array of ACE2 receptors for multiple bat and mammal species, including humans, pangolins, raccoon dogs and others. But that is just about their genetic "capability" to use ACE2 receptors, unlocking the door to human (cell) infection, nothing to do with adaptation to a human host. The observed adaptation to respiratory transmission in humans could most likely, and best we can tell, not have happened in bats; this is where the wildlife trade and intermediate animal comes in; we talk about things like sustaining a furin cleavage site in S1/S2, and unique mutations (T372A, N519H) that are not found in sarbecoviruses in bats, but in humans and pangolins. That is why it is correct to state that no matter how many bat viruses various researchers or the WIV collected, SARS-CoV-2 was almost certainly not part of that because it was not a bat virus anymore; it must have spend some time in intermediate animals before it emerged at the wet market.
Protagonist Science
2025-10-20 22:20:14 +0000 UTCSo the virus was already adapted to humans at the bat stage? I've been saying that it can't possibly have leaked from the wuhan lab as they only had bat viruses and it had to go through mammal mutations to infect people. Everytime I think I've got it I haven't. 😂
Sam Leeming
2025-10-20 20:31:42 +0000 UTC
