RNA, good for vaccines, can also be used as a pesticide
A new approach to debugging
RIBONUCLEIC ACID (RNA), once little-known outside biological circles, has recently become the molecule de nos jours. The reason is its role in covid-19 vaccines. The RNA molecules in these encode spike, a coronavirus protein. So, when the protein-making machinery of a body cell encounters such RNA, spike is what it makes. That lets a vaccine-recipient’s immune system learn to recognise a crucial part of the enemy before the real thing turns up.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Debugging. A new approach”
From the May 22nd 2021 edition
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