Transcript segment

Baric Transcribed Interview (Redacted), pp.110-111 · baric_ti:utt:00951

Date: 2026-04-10 09:00 (day precision)
Type: transcript segment · interview
recipient: Christina Salazar, Harry Kazenoff, David T. Lambeth III, William Henderson, Clark Ervin, Jake Greenberg
speaker: Ralph S. Baric
Topics: Biosafety and biosecurity Lab-leak / accidental release hypothesis Wuhan Institute of Virology collaboration

Thanks. A commentary piece that was published in Immunity, May 2020, that stated, equivocally, DC.Scheduling@LexitasLegal.com that it is unlikely that the lab leak hypothesis will go away because the safety procedures at the WIV, and I cited their paper where they worked with viruses at BSL-2.

Extracted statements

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Statement	Grade	Attribution	Stance
A commentary piece that was published in Immunity, May 2020, that stated, equivocally, DC.Scheduling@LexitasLegal.com that it is unlikely that the lab leak hypothesis will go away because the safety procedures at the WIV, and I cited their paper where they worked with viruses at BSL-2.	own voice, substantive	speaker_own	asserts

Statement

Grade

Attribution

Stance

A commentary piece that was published in Immunity, May 2020, that stated, equivocally, DC.Scheduling@LexitasLegal.com that it is unlikely that the lab leak hypothesis will go away because the safety procedures at the WIV, and I cited their paper where they worked with viruses at BSL-2.

own voice, substantive

speaker_own

asserts

In context

A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.

2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric open

In terms of the furin cleavage site, yes. And they argued that the most likely event was a recombination event, I think with a virus called HKU9, that had identical region.
2026-04-10 09:00 Christina Salazar open

The paper, generally.
2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric open

Oh, the paper, generally, I disagreed with the idea that you could completely rule out the lab leak, and actually wrote a commentator, commentory piece -- what's the word?
2026-04-10 09:00 Clark Ervin open

Commentary.
2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric

Thanks. A commentary piece that was published in Immunity, May 2020, that stated, equivocally, DC.Scheduling@LexitasLegal.com that it is unlikely that the lab leak hypothesis will go away because the safety procedures at the WIV, and I cited their paper where they worked with viruses at BSL-2.
2026-04-10 09:00 Christina Salazar open

Have you ever done any gain-of-function work for DARPA?
2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric open

For DARPA? No.
2026-04-10 09:00 Christina Salazar open

For DoD?
2026-04-10 09:00 Ralph S. Baric open

No.

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