How have scientists utilized nanotechnology as lipid nanoparticles in the Covid-19 vaccine? How does this technology help the vaccine carry out its function of immunizing the public to the virus?

 

Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of atoms and molecules in order to make something function and used in sectors such as electronics, textile and energy storage. In the case of nanotechnology in the Covid-19 vaccine lipid nanoparticles (LNP) are used to help strands of mRNA (used to code for proteins) reach their target cell without them being degraded by enzymes in the body such as ribonucleases. LNPs are typically 30-180 nanometers long and their structure consists of an aqueous core with a lipid bilayer made up of different kinds of lipids, most commonly phospholipids, cholesterol and polyethylene glycol. They are formed by condensing lipids in an ethanol-water solution with the mRNA dissolved in solution so that the lipids form around the solution. The mRNA strands along with the cell membranes have negative like charges, however the LNPs have a positive charge which allows the mRNA to get into the cell. If the LNPs were not there, the mRNA would be broken down and would not be able to get inside the cell and code for spike proteins to train the antibodies in the immune system and allow it to create memory B-cells.    

This benefits society because this type of vaccine which uses mRNA, could not have been developed without LNPs. Developing vaccines that don’t use mRNA may have taken a longer time, resulting in more people contracting and dying from the virus.    

Bibliography:

Reichmuth, Andreas M, et al. “MRNA Vaccine Delivery Using Lipid Nanoparticles.” Therapeutic Delivery, Future Science Ltd, 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5439223/

Thomas, Dr. Liji. “Design of an MRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Encapsulated in Lipid Nanoparticles.” News, 20 Oct. 2020, www.news-medical.net/news/20201019/Design-of-an-mRNA-SARS-CoV-2-vaccine-encapsulated-in-lipid-nanoparticles.aspx