The Pandemic and the Rise of mRNA Vaccines

by Aarav Shah

The Lawrenceville School

Regarding the accepted understanding of mRNA vaccines and their predecessor, traditional vaccine technology, it is only logical to tackle the realm of what sets the two apart. Traditional vaccines take viruses grown in either eggs or cells, and they use them to introduce a foreign invader into the body, preparing it for the long-run. mRNA vaccines, however, utilize DNA  plans to target cells for the secretion of antigens. These antigens lead to the formation of  antibodies, and the latter plays a big role in tracking down an incoming virus and protecting your  body from succumbing to an eventual illness.

Moreover, other critical elements which set the instrumental tools apart from one another boils  down to time, safety, and pliability. In reference to time, Pfizer indicates that the duration of the  construction of the vaccine varies – mRNA’s DNA plans are made in only a few days, whereas  conventional vaccines take months. mRNA vaccines, so to speak, are more effective in ensuring  that safety is prioritized, for the vaccines only need a DNA code, not the presence of a physical virus. And, pliability plays a big role because mRNA vaccine’s requirements are limited in quantity, and thus the need for multiple rounds of safety-checking is eliminated. The element of  time and pliability play a big factor in the reasoning behind the creation of a vaccine – to support, or prevent someone, from suffering the brutal effects of an illness. Say there was a recent spread of an illness that went around the soccer team, and it had the potential to be deadly. Wouldn’t you want to be able to treat it in a timely fashion?

Image of mRNA Vaccine

“Plug and Play” mRNA technology works fast, updating vaccines in months : Oregon Health News Blog. (2022, August 4). Oregon Health News Blog. https://covidblog.oregon.gov/plug-and-play-mrna-technology-works-fast-updating-vaccines-in-months/

To reiterate, mRNA vaccines are a big breakthrough and greatly benefits the overall public  health, ensuring that the virus does not pervade a laboratory and reaching the recipients in a quick and large-scale manner. 

Now, the developments within the field of mRNA vaccinations could not have been done with  only the helping hands of humans. That, for one, is the reason why AI, like AlphaFold 3, played a crucial role in understanding the science behind these vaccines. AlphaFold 3 was made by the large-scale company, Google, and it is a program that can help comprehend the structure  of proteins, as well as the interaction they form with antibodies. 

Image of AI-proteins predicted by AlphaFold3

Callaway, E. (2024). AI protein-prediction tool AlphaFold3 is now more open. Nature, 635(8039), 531–532. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03708-4

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However, this is not all, for other AI technologies have made great strides in the field of mRNA vaccines, such as LinearDesign. This AI tool is very important because it can change the structure of mRNA sequences, ultimately allowing for a vaccine that has a longer shelf-life and a  greater impact. Throughout our time at school, we have been told not to use AI. However, in the field of medicine, maybe it is not a bad idea if you are the one developing the program. In fact, it may lead you to find new discoveries! 

Lastly, there have been non-AI strides in the field of mRNA vaccinations, not limited to the  creation of a protective bubble around the mRNA molecule being sent to the cell. If we continue on the right path to application, then we will become a contributing member of society.

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Pfizer. (n.d.). What makes an RNA vaccine different from a conventional vaccine? Retrieved from https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/what_makes_an_rna_vaccine_different_from_a_conventional_vaccine

Johns Hopkins University. (2021). The long history of mRNA vaccines. Retrieved from https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-long-history-of-mrna-vaccines

National Human Genome Research Institute. (n.d.). COVID-19 mRNA vaccine production. Retrieved from https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/COVID-19-mRNA-Vaccine-Production

Pfizer. (n.d.). mRNA manufacturing: A transformative approach. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7987532

Pfizer. (n.d.). mRNA technology. Retrieved from https://www.pfizer.com/science/innovation/mrna-technology

[Details not provided for this PMC article]. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11292590

Google. (n.d.). Google DeepMind’s Isomorphic AlphaFold 3 AI model. Retrieved from https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-deepmind-isomorphic-alphafold-3-ai-model/#drug-discovery

Oregon State University College of Engineering. (n.d.). Revolution in mRNA vaccine technology using AI. Retrieved from https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/all-stories/revolution-mrna-vaccine-technology-using-ai

Collins, F. (n.d.). AlphaFold: Revolutionizing protein structure prediction. NIH Director's Blog. Retrieved from https://directorsblog.nih.gov/tag/alphafold

MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Antigen: An overview. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002224.htm

Google. (n.d.). How we built AlphaFold 3. Retrieved from https://blog.google/technology/ai/how-we-built-alphafold-3

[Details not provided for this PMC article]. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10384963

Fast Company. (n.d.). DeepMind AlphaFold 3: DNA and RNA modeling. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/91120456/deepmind-alphafold-3-dna-rna-modeling

Nature. (2024). Research article on AlphaFold 3. Nature. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07487-w