The coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, uses special spike proteins to sneak into your cells. These spikes help the virus bypass your body’s defenses and take control. But don’t worry, scientists have found a way to use the virus’s own tricks against it to keep us safe.
With billions of people waiting for a vaccine to protect against COVID-19, it’s important to understand how these vaccines work. Normally, creating a vaccine can take over ten years because of the many steps needed to ensure they’re safe and effective. However, during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists can speed up the process by doing some steps at the same time, without skipping any important ones.
Let’s take a look inside a lab where scientists are working hard to understand the coronavirus. At the University of Texas, Dr. Jason McLellan and his team study how viruses like the coronavirus cause diseases. They focus on the spike proteins, which are crucial for the virus to enter our cells.
In December 2019, scientists noticed unusual pneumonia cases in China. Dr. McLellan, while on vacation, learned from his colleague at the NIH that this might be a new coronavirus similar to SARS. As soon as the virus’s genetic code was shared online in January 2020, Dr. McLellan’s lab began working on a vaccine.
Vaccines train your immune system to recognize and fight germs like viruses without making you sick. The COVID-19 virus has an outer shell with spike proteins that help it enter cells. When your body first encounters a virus, it takes time to respond, allowing the virus to spread. Vaccines help your immune system recognize the virus faster, so it can stop it before it causes illness.
Some vaccines contain weakened or inactive viruses, but modern vaccines often use just a small part of the virus. The COVID-19 vaccines use the spike protein. For the vaccine to work, the spike protein must have the same shape as it does on the virus.
Producing the spike protein is tricky because it’s unstable. Dr. McLellan’s team, having studied similar viruses, knew how to stabilize the spike protein. They grow special human cells in the lab, which produce the spike protein when given a modified gene. This protein is then purified and checked using a cryo-electron microscope to ensure it matches the virus’s spike.
Some COVID-19 vaccines use a new method involving mRNA, which carries instructions for making the spike protein. This means your body can produce the spike protein itself, helping your immune system learn to fight the virus.
The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines is a testament to the power of scientific research. Scientists like Dr. McLellan, who had been studying related viruses, were ready to act quickly when the pandemic began. This shows why supporting basic scientific research is crucial for preparing us for future challenges.
Stay curious and keep learning!
Create a 3D model of the coronavirus spike protein using craft materials like clay or paper. This activity will help you understand the structure of the spike protein and how it enables the virus to enter human cells. Share your model with the class and explain its significance in the virus’s ability to infect.
Research the typical timeline for vaccine development and compare it to the accelerated process used for COVID-19 vaccines. Create a visual timeline that highlights key steps and innovations that allowed for the rapid development of these vaccines. Present your findings to the class.
Participate in a role-playing game where you simulate the immune system’s response to a viral infection. Assign roles such as virus, antibodies, and white blood cells. This activity will help you understand how vaccines train the immune system to recognize and fight viruses more effectively.
Watch a video or read an article about how mRNA vaccines work. Then, write a short essay explaining the role of mRNA in COVID-19 vaccines and why this method is innovative. Discuss how mRNA vaccines differ from traditional vaccines.
Engage in a class debate on the importance of funding basic scientific research. Use examples from the article, such as Dr. McLellan’s work, to argue for or against increased investment in scientific research. This will help you appreciate the role of science in addressing global challenges.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any potentially sensitive or informal language while maintaining the informative content:
—
This is how coronavirus invades your body. It uses its spike proteins to enter your cells, employing molecular mechanisms to bypass your defenses and take over your body. However, there is a way to prevent this by utilizing one of the virus’s own mechanisms against it.
Hello, everyone. Right now, there are approximately 7 billion people awaiting a vaccine that will protect us from the virus responsible for COVID-19. If you’re like me, you want to understand what is in the vaccine and how it works.
Developing a vaccine and distributing it to the public is a lengthy process with numerous steps to ensure safety and effectiveness, typically taking ten years or more. In an emergency, such as this pandemic, we cannot skip any steps, but we can expedite the process by conducting some steps simultaneously. However, the first step is determining what to include in the vaccine to ensure it protects people.
Today, we will explore a laboratory and meet scientists who study the coronavirus. We will also learn about a significant scientific instrument they used to design the key ingredient in the first COVID-19 vaccines.
My goal with this video is to explain what is in the new COVID vaccines that makes them effective and how they were developed faster than any vaccine in history. I hope this information will help you feel more informed when you receive your vaccination and foster a greater appreciation for the importance of scientific research.
The crucial research for developing the COVID-19 vaccine is taking place at the University of Texas, where Dr. Jason McLellan studies how pathogens like the coronavirus cause disease. There are four human coronaviruses that cause seasonal illnesses, typically the common cold, and three that have caused pandemics: the first SARS coronavirus in 2002, the MERS coronavirus in 2012, and now SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in late 2019.
In December 2019, reports emerged about pneumonia clusters in China. In the scientific community, there was speculation about a new flu virus or possibly a coronavirus. While on vacation, Dr. McLellan received a call from his collaborator at the NIH, indicating that it appeared to be a betacoronavirus similar to SARS, and they needed to move quickly to develop a vaccine.
As soon as researchers in China decoded the virus’s genome and published it online, Dr. McLellan’s lab began designing a vaccine. The moment the sequence was released publicly in early January, the race to develop a vaccine began.
So, what does a vaccine do? It trains your immune system to recognize a germ, such as a virus, so it can effectively combat it without causing illness. The virus that causes COVID-19 has an outer shell made of various proteins, with the spike proteins being the most critical. These spikes allow the virus to enter our cells by binding to specific receptors, similar to picking a lock.
The challenge is that when your body first encounters a virus, the immune response is slow, allowing the virus to replicate and potentially cause severe illness. Vaccines help train the immune system to recognize the virus quickly, enabling a faster response to eliminate it before it can take over.
What is actually in a vaccine? Some vaccines contain weakened or inactivated viruses, while modern vaccines often include only a small piece of the virus. The newest COVID-19 vaccines contain just the spike protein. For the spike to function as a vaccine, it must maintain the same three-dimensional shape as the spike on the complete virus.
However, producing the spike protein alone is challenging because it tends to be unstable. Dr. McLellan’s lab had previously studied SARS and MERS viruses, which are closely related to the virus causing COVID-19. They knew how to make specific modifications to stabilize the spike protein, allowing it to maintain its shape.
To produce the spike protein, scientists grow specialized human cells outside the body, which act as factories. They introduce a modified gene for the spike protein into these cells, prompting them to produce the protein. The resulting liquid is then processed through purification machines to isolate a pure sample of the spike protein.
To confirm that the spike protein resembles the natural one, scientists use a cryo-electron microscope, which captures 3D images of the protein. This advanced machine allows researchers to visualize the spike’s structure, ensuring it matches the original virus’s spike.
Once the spike protein is confirmed to be structurally accurate, it can be administered to individuals to train their immune systems against the actual virus. The research conducted by Dr. McLellan and his team is foundational to the first COVID-19 vaccines.
Some of these vaccines utilize a novel approach where the genetic instructions for producing the spike protein are included in the vaccine, using a molecule called mRNA. This means that your body can produce the spike protein itself, acting as its own factory.
This remarkable scientific achievement has led to the rapid development of effective vaccines. While it will take time to distribute these vaccines to billions of people, the speed and safety of their development is unprecedented.
The readiness of scientists like Dr. McLellan, who had been studying related coronaviruses, allowed for a swift response when SARS-CoV-2 emerged. This highlights the importance of supporting basic scientific research, as it prepares us for future challenges.
Stay curious.
Coronavirus – A type of virus that can cause respiratory illnesses in humans, including the common cold and more severe diseases like COVID-19. – Scientists are studying the coronavirus to understand how it spreads and how to prevent infection.
Vaccine – A biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. – The development of a vaccine for COVID-19 was a major scientific breakthrough in controlling the pandemic.
Spike – A protein on the surface of certain viruses, like the coronavirus, that allows them to enter and infect host cells. – The spike protein of the coronavirus is a key target for vaccines and treatments.
Proteins – Large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body, including as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies. – Proteins are essential for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs.
Immune – Relating to the body’s defense system that protects against disease and infection. – The immune system can recognize and destroy pathogens like bacteria and viruses.
Cells – The basic structural, functional, and biological units of all living organisms. – Human cells work together to perform all the necessary functions for life.
Research – The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. – Ongoing research in biology helps us understand the complexities of life and disease.
mRNA – Messenger RNA, a type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome, where proteins are synthesized. – The mRNA vaccines teach cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response.
Germs – Microorganisms, especially those that cause disease. – Washing hands regularly helps prevent the spread of germs that can cause illness.
Illness – A condition of being unhealthy in your body or mind, often caused by infection or disease. – Scientists work to understand the causes of illness to develop effective treatments.
