4 July 2023 – New EMBO Member Katalin Karikó fondly recalls the time her schoolteacher brought a large metal object into the classroom and revealed the fascinating world of cells under a microscope. “I could scarcely believe that our bodies are made up of these strange blobs I could see through the lens,” says Karikó, who since those early years has led research that served as a foundation for mRNA vaccine delivery. “This moment sparked a life-long curiosity in me: whenever I am in the lab, I feel like I am having fun.”
Karikó’s passion for science was rewarded when she won her first award in an open biology exam in 1973. But it wasn’t until nearly five decades later that she received her second accolade recognising the remarkable impact of her pioneering mRNA techniques, including in the Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. “During the past decades I have had numerous professional and personal setbacks, but a common theme is that I have refused to be deterred or let other people define me,” says Karikó, who struggled for years to secure a permanent research position and grant funding for her work. “People were generally not that interested in mRNA as a therapeutic. But even when others doubted my path, I trusted my instincts.”
Eventually, Karikó embarked on collaborations to explore the potential of mRNA that overcame immune response challenges, enhanced its translational efficiency, and unlocked its potential for therapeutic applications. “Much of my work has been down to chance,” she says. “It’s such a great privilege to become an EMBO Member: I want to use my position to inspire young scientists to be resilient in the face of failure, believe in their abilities, and to focus on the things they can make happen. My numerous setbacks were ultimately instrumental and I hope when people hear my story, they think: ‘well, if she can do it, so can I.”
