Katalin Kariko

Katalin Kariko

Katalin Karikó is a Hungarian biochemist who specializes in RNA-mediated mechanisms. Karikow is the mother of two-time Olympic gold medalist Susan Francia. Her work has contributed to BioNTtech’s effort to create immune cells that produce vaccine antigens.

About Katalin Kariko in brief

Summary Katalin KarikoKatalin Karikó is a Hungarian biochemist who specializes in RNA-mediated mechanisms. Her research has been the development of in vitro-transcribed mRNA for protein therapies. She holds patents in the United States for application of non-immunogenic, nucleoside-modified RNA. She co-founded and was CEO of RNARx from 2006–2013. Karikow is the mother of two-time Olympic gold medalist Susan Francia.

She is a senior vice president at BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals. Her work has contributed to BioNTtech’s effort to create immune cells that produce vaccine antigens. In 2020 this technology was used within a vaccine for COVID-19 that was produced jointly by Pfizer and BioNTTech.