1860s: nucleic acids discovered
1940-50s: the concept that “DNA makes RNA makes protein” is developed (& is called the central dogma)
1960s: messenger RNA discovered
1/n
Path to the vaccine
1989: use of lipid nanoparticles to get mRNA into cells
1990: RNA injected into muscle can cause local synthesis of a protein
1994-9: RNA vaccines shown to induce immune response
2008-11: early phase trials
2/n
2003-2012: studies to generate a vaccine against 2 new severe coronavirus diseases SARS and MERS identify the spike protein as a good target for protective antibodies
3/n
2020 Jan: US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) working with Moderna about to make another RNA vaccine for a trial against Nipah virus
2020 11th Jan: draft genome of SARS-CoV-2 sequence shared — NIAID redirect to this virus
4/n
2020 latter half: papers showing the virus is effective in generating protective antibodies & cell mediated responses without any vaccine-induced worsening of subsequent infection
2020 latter half: human trials successful
5/n
2020: @MHRAgovuk review the data & approved the vaccine!
Observations are made.
A hypothesis is generated.
Experiments are performed to test (try to disprove) the hypothesis.
This cycle is repeated many many times until the experiments are unable to disprove the hypothesis.
The results are shared at talks or posters at conferences or as preprints, so others can comment & criticise.
The results are then published as papers (a gruelling process when the paper is assessed by tough anonymous scientists who point out every error, big or small, which must be corrected).
Afterwards, scientists try to reproduce those results to see if they’re real.