Messenger RNA vaccines proved their worth in the COVID pandemic, and new software stands to make the transformative technology even more powerful.

Scientists developed an algorithm to identify the most stable, efficient mRNA sequences for vaccines. Tests show that the algorithm-derived mRNAs resist deterioration longer, produce more COVID spike protein, and dramatically increase antibody levels in mice compared to currently used mRNA vaccines. The team reports their results in the journal Nature.

The “secret sauce” for creating stronger mRNA sequences requires the right balance of two factors: structure and genetic code. RNA expert David Mathews and computer scientist Liang Huang collaborated to create an algorithm that assesses both factors. Like a Google search for mRNA sequences, their algorithm spits out the top result for a specific protein amongst the almost infinite number of possibilities.

“Our tool is designed to identify the best sequence out of a huge space that you could never explore experimentally,” says Mathews, co-corresponding author of the Nature study and the Lynne E. Maquat Distinguished Professor in biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “Prior approaches did a poor job of searching this space. We hope this breakthrough will help companies to develop or improve their mRNA therapies.”    

Find out more about RNA’s rise to prominence.

Scanning electron micrograph of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (yellow) and a dead human white blood cell (red). (NIAID/NIH photo) 

Scientists have found a counterintuitive wrinkle in the way bacteria spread antibiotic-resistant genes through small circular pieces of DNA called plasmids.

Plasmids, found in bacteria and some other microorganisms, are physically separate from chromosomal DNA and can replicate on their own. Bacteria can acquire plasmids from other bacterial cells or from viruses, and as plasmids build up, they give bacteria antibiotic resistance. But some plasmids are easier for bacteria to acquire than others. What makes these plasmids spread more easily?

While common sense might suggest that plasmids that spread the easiest are the ones that allow bacteria to grow the fastest, a new study published in Nature Communications led by Allison Lopatkin ’13, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Rochester, outlines the surprising evolutionary tradeoff between lag time and growth rate.

“You would think that something that’s able to grow faster will always do better, but we found that’s not true because the acquisition costs manifest in a delay rather than a growth rate,” says Lopatkin. “Taking a little bit longer to let that plasmid become established ultimately helped the gene spread faster.”

The findings could help fight antibiotic resistance.

Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics is an integral part of a new groundbreaking project in the field of laser-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) in collaboration with Xcimer Energy Inc., a private company dedicated to developing abundant and carbon-free fusion energy.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced Xcimer’s selection for a $9 million award through the DOE’s Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. The program aims to propel the United States toward achieving the first fusion power plant, which will help bring fusion to technical and commercial viability.

LLE will provide Xcimer with expertise in ICF implosion physics and design, as well as expertise on tritium, a key fuel involved in the fusion process.

Read more about LLE’s long history in ICF research.

Tuesday, June 13, 8:30 a.m.–noon

Research coordinators and staff are invited to register for the Study Coordinators Organization for Research and Education (SCORE) Annual Seminar. This year’s seminar will feature a keynote address by Edith Williams, founding director of the Office of Health Equity Research, titled “Health Equity Research: Progress and Directions Forward.” See the agenda and register.

Wednesday, June 21, noon–1 p.m. EDT
Virtual

Lack of trust in research and concerns about the trustworthiness of researchers and research institutions are commonly cited barriers to enrolling in research studies. Trust in biomedical research has been lower among racial and ethnic groups who have been historically underrepresented and excluded from research. Effectively measuring trust in biomedical research requires instruments that include content areas reflecting minoritized racial and ethnic populations’ definitions and perceptions of trust.

Consuelo H. Wilkins of Vanderbilt University Medical Center will present the Perceptions of Research Trustworthiness (PoRT) Scale, a validated tool to measure trust in biomedical research that is relevant across Black, Latino, and white communities, including those with lower educational attainment. The goal is to more accurately measure trust and then enable strategies aimed at increasing trust and trustworthiness. This event, hosted by the Trial Innovation Network, is available to the Rochester community via the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Register for the event.

Apply by Monday, July 24, 5 p.m.

Research teams with at least one Rochester faculty member can get up to $10,000 to support early-phase research projects that improve health equity and incorporate effective translation, distribution, and/or use of evidence-based interventions and policies in real-world settings. The Equity-Focused Dissemination and Implementation (EQ-DI) Pipeline-to-Pilot Award is available through Rochester’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Register by Thursday, August 17

Registration is now open for the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Training Program offered each year by the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. In the course, community members and University faculty, staff, and students learn a collaborative approach to research that involves community members or recipients of health interventions during all phases of the research process and that recognizes the unique strengths of each research team member. Learn more and register.