Zhang Yongzhen, the first scientist in China to publish the COVID-19 virus sequence, shared on Wednesday that he and his team were finally allowed back into their lab after days of being locked out, which led him to stage a protest.
In a post on Weibo, Zhang mentioned that the medical center housing his lab had tentatively agreed to let them resume their research. He expressed relief that his team could now enter and exit the laboratory freely. Additionally, he mentioned ongoing negotiations to relocate the lab without disrupting their work with the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center.
The dispute arose when Zhang and his team were abruptly told to vacate their lab for renovations, according to an earlier post that was later deleted. Zhang resorted to a sit-in protest outside his lab after discovering he was locked out, enduring rainy weather on flattened cardboard while his team displayed a banner advocating for the resumption of scientific research.
The protest gained traction on Chinese social media, putting pressure on local authorities. The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center claimed the lab closure was for safety reasons during renovations and offered alternative laboratory space. However, Zhang countered that the alternative provided didn’t meet safety standards for their research, leaving his team in a difficult position.
This clash with his host institution adds to a series of challenges Zhang has faced since publishing the virus sequence without state approval in January 2020. It underscores Beijing’s efforts to control information about the virus, as evidenced by government restrictions on tracing efforts early in the outbreak. These days, labs are shuttered, collaborations disrupted, foreign scientists expelled, and some Chinese researchers barred from leaving the country.
