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This topic has appeared in the trending rankings 1 time(s) in the past year. While it does not trend frequently, its appearance suggests a renewed or concentrated surge of public interest.
Based on Wikipedia pageviews and search interest, this topic gained significant attention on the selected date.
Gain-of-function_research entered the ranking for the first time today at position #. This is its highest position ever recorded.
This topic has appeared in the English Wikipedia rankings 1 time. It first appeared on 2026-04-25 and was most recently seen on 2026-04-25.
Gain-of-function research is medical research that genetically alters an organism in a way that may enhance the biological functions of gene products. This may include an altered pathogenesis, transmissibility, or host range, i.e., the types of hosts that a microorganism can infect. This research is intended to reveal targets to better predict emerging infectious diseases and to develop vaccines and therapeutics. For example, influenza B can infect only humans and harbor seals. Introducing a mutation that would allow influenza B to infect rabbits in a controlled laboratory situation would be considered a gain-of-function experiment, as the virus did not previously have that function. That type of experiment could then help reveal which parts of the virus's genome correspond to the species that it can infect, enabling the creation of antiviral medicines which block this function.
This topic has recently gained attention due to increased public interest. Search activity and Wikipedia pageviews suggest growing global engagement.
Search interest data over the past 12 months indicates that this topic periodically attracts global attention. Sudden spikes often correlate with major news events, public statements, or geopolitical developments.