The mRNA Breakthrough That Changed Medicine Forever with Nobel Laureate Katalin Karikó

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What if the secret to saving millions of lives was hidden for years—overlooked, dismissed, and even rejected?

That’s the story behind the groundbreaking mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.

Today’s remarkable guest, Dr. Katalin Karikó—a Nobel laureate whose persistence and vision changed the course of medical history—shares how she overcame countless setbacks to drive one of the biggest breakthroughs in modern medicine.

Discover how a humble butcher’s daughter from Hungary developed the foundation for the COVID-19 vaccine and why mRNA could hold the key to curing cancer and other deadly diseases.

Tune in to learn more about the mRNA revolution that almost didn’t happen!

Key Takeaways: 

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:06 Origin of the Hungarian phrase “Marslahok”
• 00:02:11 Judging a book by its cover
• 00:05:40 The definition of life and extraterrestrial life 
• 00:09:28 Katalin’s early life and scientific curiosity 
• 00:18:00 Understanding RNA and mRNA
• 00:24:43 Development of the COVID vaccine
• 00:28:44 The COVID vaccine controversy 
• 00:35:41 Overcoming adversity and advice for young scientists 
• 00:54:10 The future of mRNA research and dealing with pandemics 
• 01:01:08 What was Katalin wrong about?
• 01:02:15 Outro

Additional resources: 

📚 Get “Breaking Through: My Life in Science” by Dr. Katalin Karikó: https://a.co/d/cZjaFCw 

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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and