In the United States, scientists have published the messenger RNA sequence of the vaccine from the controversial company Moderna on an open source platform. Are we heading towards the era of DIY vaccines?
In November 2020, Moderna announced a vaccine that was 94.5% effective. A few months later, many observers pointed the finger at this company, which was very profit-oriented. If everyone is obviously not in agreement on the subject, Moderna had all the same assured not to want to attack the possible structures violating their intellectual property throughout the pandemic. In other words, there would be nothing to fear for these entities wishing to potentially manufacture their own version of the vaccine based on Moderna's.
However, a team of scientists from Stanford University (United States) has published on the GitHub platform the messenger RNA sequence (mRNA) encoding the Spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Before that, the researchers had previously managed to obtain a sample of the vaccine in question bearing the name mRNA-1273. They successfully attempted to unlock its secrets with complex reverse-engineering methods and systematic comparisons with genetic material from people who have already received doses of the vaccine.
In theory, therefore, it would be possible for some people to reproduce the Moderna vaccine, provided they have the appropriate equipment. It must be said that beyond the mRNA sequence, the rest of the ingredients and other methods necessary are not a mystery. Could this open the door to many "do-it-yourselfers" wanting to produce the vaccine in their garage? Considering the difficulties associated with this kind of business, the answer seems rather negative.
You should know that setting up a supply and production chain for such a product is impossible for amateurs. Besides, who would give credit to this kind of "underground" production? On the other hand, if a company with sufficient means decided to produce the vaccine in question, nothing could prevent it. Indeed, the absence of an official license and supervised knowledge transfer would be a huge time saver.
While the open source publication of the American researchers will probably not be used to fight the coronavirus, it may however prove useful in the future. The detail of the methods used to unravel the mysteries of the Moderna vaccine can indeed potentially advance medicine and science in general.
