Breakthrough: Katalin Karikó and the mRNA Vaccine

by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Overview

A thorough and accessible biography of Dr. Katalin Karikó, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, whose hard work pioneering mRNA research led to the COVID-19 vaccines.

Her monumental contribution to global health care has rightfully placed Karikó as one of the most important scientists in history. She has won awards, given speeches, and appeared in magazines and television programs. But she wasn’t always famous—in fact, it took decades for anyone to recognize the importance of her research into RNA and the potential of mRNA to help cells fight off disease.

Beginning with her birth in a small village in rural Hungary, Breakthrough tells the story of how a young girl interested in the wildlife around her became an internationally celebrated hero. Exuberant, devoted to her family, and hard-working, Karikó persevered in the face of challenges and obstacles that would have discouraged many of her peers. Her achievements remind us that if we believe in ourselves, no matter the setbacks we encounter, we can succeed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765607947
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Pages:	136
Sales rank:	635,973
Product dimensions:	(w) x (h) x 0.56(d)
Age Range:	13 - 14 Years

About the Author

Stephanie Sammartino McPherson wrote her first children's story in college. She enjoyed the process so much that she's never stopped writing. A former teacher and freelance newspaper writer, she has written more than thirty books and numerous magazine stories. Her recent books include Hothouse Earth: The Climate Crisis and the Importance of Carbon Neutrality, winner of the Green Earth Book Award for young adult nonfiction, and Breakthrough: Katalin Karikó and the mRNA Vaccine. Stephanie and her husband, Richard, live in Virginia.

Editorial Reviews

"Complex scientific information is conveyed clearly, so that important ideas can be understood. . .This biography is timely as Karikó (along with Weissman) recently won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Accessible writing and thorough research make this a great science resource for middle and high school students." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

12/01/2023

Gr 7 Up—Two of the most common COVID-19 vaccines used in the United States, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, use synthetic mRNA to produce an immune response to the virus. But what is synthetic mRNA, and who developed it? This work follows Katalin Karikó's life and trajectory as a scientist. It was her unstinting belief in the importance of synthetic mRNA in disease prevention and her dedicated scientific work with research partner Drew Weissman that led to the development of an mRNA vaccine. Traditional vaccines use a live virus (weakened) or a dead virus to confer immunity. An mRNA vaccine uses synthetic mRNA to deliver instructions to cells to make a protein that instigates an immune response. Readers learn about Karikó's childhood in rural Hungary, and her decision to leave and emigrate to the United States with her husband and young daughter to pursue her scientific studies. Women working in science face many challenges, and Karikó was no exception—especially since not many valued her area of research. But with the support of her family and a few colleagues who uplifted her work, notably Weissman, she persevered with her research over several decades. The book includes background information on gene therapy, vaccine development, coronaviruses, and other tangentially relevant scientific information. Complex scientific information is conveyed clearly, so that important ideas can be understood. Includes extensive source notes; a selected bibliography; and a list of books, videos, and websites for further information. VERDICT This biography is timely as Karikó (along with Weissman) recently won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Accessible writing and thorough research make this a great science resource for middle and high school students. Recommended.—Ragan O'Malley

School Library Journal

2023-09-09
The story of Katalin Karikó—a scientist key to the development of the mRNA vaccine for Covid-19—is one of perseverance and dedication.

Born in Hungary in 1955, Kati Karikó has never been a stranger to stacked odds. From her childhood as the daughter of a political dissenter, her young adulthood battling for access to the best science education Hungary offered, and her career working in the trenches of the relentlessly hierarchical system of academic science, her path to success proved a winding one. With this timely book, McPherson sheds light as much on the quirks and pitfalls of academic and industrial science as on the scientific discoveries that paved the way for the mRNA vaccine. Contextualizing Karikó’s struggles within her identities as a woman and an immigrant to America, the author highlights the biases and the rigid definitions of success that continue to characterize many hallowed institutions. The descriptions of scientific concepts are succinct and clear, providing enough detail that readers will be left informed but not overwhelmed with minutiae. Frequent inserts offer historical context and colorful detail. The controversies and misinformation surrounding the development of vaccines are touched upon but not explored deeply. The work shines most when elucidating the long path to scientific discovery, including the many failed experiments and minor discoveries that necessarily precede breakthroughs.

A stimulating and accessible foray into recent scientific history. (timelines, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews