Glowing with Bioluminescence.
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.1c04996#
The study investigates the use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) containing modified messenger RNA (mRNA) as a vaccine platform for COVID-19. SM102 is a specific lipid used in the formulation of these LNPs, and luciferase is a protein used as a marker to measure the efficiency of the mRNA delivery.
SM102 is a synthetic lipid that helps stabilize the LNPs and allows them to encapsulate the mRNA. The LNPs containing the mRNA are then taken up by cells, where the mRNA is translated into a protein, which in this case is the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The spike protein triggers an immune response, training the immune system to recognize and fight the virus.
Luciferase, on the other hand, is not related to the vaccine itself, but is used as a marker to measure the delivery efficiency of the mRNA. Luciferase is an enzyme that produces light when it interacts with a substrate called luciferin. By incorporating a gene encoding luciferase into the mRNA, the researchers were able to track the delivery of the mRNA to cells using a special imaging technique that detects light emission.
In summary, SM102 plays a role in the formulation of lipid nanoparticles that encapsulate modified mRNA for the COVID-19 vaccine, while luciferase is used as a marker to measure the efficiency of mRNA delivery.
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