The most effective Covid-19 vaccines had RNA at their core
Images by Ezra Acayan
The catalyst
Thomas R. Cech (W.W. Norton)
For 50 years, RNA has been DNA’s underrated sibling, but now it has leapt into the spotlight. This multifaceted molecule, which resembles DNA but can morph into a variety of shapes other than the double helix, has brought us the most powerful vaccines against covid-19 and is central to CRISPR gene editing, one of the most powerful technologies in experimental biology.
Yet few of us have a deep understanding of the molecule and why it has suddenly become so important to…