00:04:26 | December 10, 2024
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What does a scientific term like messenger RNA (mRNA) mean for society? In one very tangible sense, it can mean the difference between life and death. The mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 saved an estimated 19.8 million lives in 2021 alone. In 2023, Dr. Katalin Karikó received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work, which created the blueprint for mRNA vaccines. This year, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) recognized Dr. Karikó’s groundbreaking research and pioneering spirit at our Double Helix Medals dinner.
When Dr. Kariko began her work on mRNA in the 1980s, her ideas weren’t exactly greeted with open arms. “I know that people were skeptical about mRNA,” she recalls. Yet today, more than 270 million people in the U.S. are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Additional mRNA vaccines are being developed for brain cancer, melanoma, and many other diseases. “At present, there are more than 250 clinical trials ongoing using mRNA,” Dr. Karikó says.
All of this becomes possible only through basic biology research and education. That’s why CSHL exists. And it’s why we were honored to present Dr. Karikó with the Double Helix Medal on November 14. Notably, on the very next day, Dr. Karikó joined acclaimed author Carl Zimmer at the CUNY Graduate Center for a City of Science event presented by the CSHL Center for Humanities & History of Modern Biology with crucial support from the BGI Nobel Laureates Archives Program.
Watch the video above to hear more about Dr. Karikó’s journey of discovery.
Read the related story: 19th annual Double Helix Medals dinner raises $7 million