David Walt received a presidential medal in January for inventions that have enabled genetic screening for in vitro fertilization, better disease diagnosis and improved crop resistance. His latest work involved early detection of Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS, with the goal of developing new drugs to manage the debilitating loss of muscle control from that condition.

But on Tuesday morning, Walt got an unwelcome update: The Department of Health and Human Services was ordering work to stop on his $650,000 government contract, part of an effort to force Harvard University to comply with the Trump administration’s demands.