Who Invented Mrna Vaccines

The mRNA vaccine is a revolutionary form of immunization that, when given to people, triggers their body to produce an antigen that mimics the infection of a given virus and thereby protect them from potential illness. The science behind this revolutionary form of immunization was developed by three pioneering researchers in the field of mRNA research: Dr. Katalin Karikó, Dr. Drew Weissman, and Dr. Ugur Sahin, the founders of BioNTech, a German-based biotechnology company focused on developing personalised medicines.

Dr. Katalin Karikó, is a Hungarian-born biochemist who immigrated to the U.S. in 1989. She received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and began researching mRNA shortly after, recognizing its potential as a therapeutic molecule. Dr. Karikó is credited with developing the technology for safely and effectively delivering mRNA, which is the foundation of the current mRNA vaccination platforms.

Dr. Drew Weissman and Dr. Ugur Sahin, who co-founded BioNTech, were the first researchers to discover that mRNA vaccines could induce a viral infection-specific immune response. In early 2020, their research was published in the journal Nature detailing their development of mRNA vaccines for influenza and Zika virus. Their research proved that mRNA vaccines could be used to stimulate a strong immune response from B and T cells—key components of the defense system against viral infection—without the need for viral components like the ones typically used in traditional vaccines.

Through their hard work and dedication, Dr. Karikó, Dr. Weissman and Dr. Sahin revolutionized the way vaccines are made. Their invention of the mRNA vaccine platform has enabled the development of the numerous highly effective vaccines that are now being administered to protect people against the global Covid-19 pandemic. We owe a debt of gratitude to these three visionary scientists and their incredible invention.