This week, we will go over the following topics:

Overview of mRNA Vaccines

• Definition and mechanism of action
• Definition and mechanism of action.
• Comparison with traditional vaccines.
• Advantages and challenges in mRNA vaccine development.

Molecular Biology Basics

• Structure and function of DNA and RNA.
• Transcription and translation processes.
• Codon usage and its impact on protein expression.

Computational Biology in mRNA Design

• Gene sequence optimization tools.
• Secondary structure prediction algorithms.
• Codon optimization strategies for enhanced expression.

Real-World Application

• Case study: Computational design of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mRNA vaccine.