How sure ? Because , strange twist story , work funded National Institute Allergy Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ) , part US National Institutes Health ( NIH ) .And grant proposals funded work , matter public record , specify exactly planned money.The grants assigned prime contractor , Daszak EcoHealth Alliance , subcontracted Shi.Here extracts grants fiscal years 2018 2019 . ( “ CoV ” stands coronavirus “ S protein ” refers virus ’ spike protein . ) “ Test predictions CoV inter-species transmission.Predictive models host range ( i.e.emergence potential ) tested experimentally using reverse genetics , pseudovirus receptor binding assays , virus infection experiments across range cell cultures different species humanized mice. ” “ We use S protein sequence data , infectious clone technology , vitro vivo infection experiments analysis receptor binding test hypothesis % divergence thresholds S protein sequences predict spillover potential. ” What means , non-technical language , Shi set create novel coronaviruses highest possible infectivity human cells .