Babbage: BioNTech's founder on the future of mRNA technology

Since covid-19 emerged three years ago, mRNA vaccines have taken the world by storm. How will they keep up with new variants of the coronavirus, and where does the mRNA revolution go from here?Natasha Loder, The Economist’s health policy editor, talks to Ugur Sahin, the co-founder of BioNTech, whose covid vaccine changed the course of the pandemic. They consider the development of a universal coronavirus vaccine, and the other infectious diseases that will be targeted by mRNA jabs. Plus, the immunologist explains how mRNA technology can treat illnesses such as cancer, and his expectations for the technology in 2023. Alok Jha hosts.For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions, subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.