Ideas worth spreading

Meet the scientist couple driving an mRNA vaccine revolution

2,336,963 views | Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci • TEDMonterey

As COVID-19 spread, BioNTech cofounders Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci had one goal: to make a safe, effective vaccine faster than ever before. In this illuminating conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, the immunologists (and married couple) share the fascinating story of how their decades of mRNA research powered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine -- and forecast what this breakthrough science could mean for the future of vaccines and other immunotherapy treatments.

As COVID-19 spread, BioNTech cofounders Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci had one goal: to make a safe, effective vaccine faster than ever before. In this illuminating conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, the immunologists (and married couple) share the fascinating story of how their decades of mRNA research powered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine -- and forecast what this breakthrough science could mean for the future of vaccines and other immunotherapy treatments.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speakers

Uğur Şahin

Physician, immunologist

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Uğur Şahin is the cofounder and CEO of BioNTech and one of the world's foremost experts on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) medicines. He initiated the historic development of the first mRNA vaccine for COVID-19.

Özlem Türeci

Physician, immunologist, cancer researcher

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Özlem Türeci is the cofounder and chief medical officer of BioNTech. She leads the clinical development of "Project Lightspeed," the company's successful effort to develop and distribute an mRNA-based vaccine against COVID-19, a historic achievement completed in less than one year.

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This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.