U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that aims to reduce the time it takes to approve pharmaceutical plants in the country, as part of new regulations to encourage domestic manufacturing.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order looking to limit federal funding for gain-of-function research that involves altering pathogens, suggesting the efforts could have been responsible for the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scientists have long debated the merits and risks of tinkering with viruses and bacteria, which the president claims caused the coronavirus pandemic.