Born in Szolnok, Hungary, Katalin Karikó is a biochemist known for her research in messanger RNA (mRNA) technology. She received her PhD in biochemisty from the University of Szeged in 1982, and continued her research at the Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre (BRC) of Hungary. In 1985 she moved to the United States, eventually being hired by the University of Pennsylvania to study mRNA. Despite losing funding, she remained at Penn and began collaborating with Drew Weissman, MD, PhD. Their research resulted in a technology known as non-immunogenic, nucleoside-modified RNA, which ultimately enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023 was awarded jointly to Karikó and Weissman for this discovery.
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