Since the beginning of the 21st century, scientists Uğur Şahin und Özlem Türeci have pursued the goal of creating cancer treatments that are specific to individuals. The firm they established, BioNTech, focuses heavily on revolutionary mRNA technology.

The “M” in mRNA means messenger and RNA stands for ribonucleic acid. MRNA delivers information for antigen production directly to the cell which produces proteins. Afterwards, these cells present self-produced antigens on their outer shells and trigger a specifically desired immune response.

Şahin and Türeci came up with the idea of using mRNA technology for vaccines in January 2020 after reading about a virus recently identified in Wuhan, China. Within hours, BioNTech decided to launch its search for a viable vaccine. The initial steps required lots of money and nerves of steel. The founders of pharmaceutical giant Hexal, brothers Andreas and Thomas Strünmann, were among the first financial backers.

BioNTech received hundreds of millions in funding and the search for a vaccine began. But many questions remained unresolved. In the end, persistence paid off. A Partnership with Pharma Giant Pfizer sped up the testing phase and the Comirnaty Concentrate was approved. Its efficacy proven, millions around the world have been vaccinated with it.

But what does the future look like for cancer research? And can mRNA technology aid in the fight against Malaria? The documentary shows what a wide-ranging affect this startup company in Mainz, Germany is having on global health. Film maker Michael Schindhelm has gained the opportunity to take a closer look at this revolutionary company.

#documentary #vaccine #freedocumentary #BioNTech #dwdocumentary
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The Friedrich Loeffler Institute on the island of Riems can only be reached via a single bridge. The island lies in the Baltic Sea, and its isolated location is vital: Dangerous viruses are stored here, including Ebola, Rabies, Swine Fever, Crimean-Congo Fever and Sars-CoV-2.

The facility is one of only three such laboratories in the world – and the only one in Europe – where dangerous diseases can be researched using live animals such as cattle and pigs under high-security conditions. Researchers are working to understand how new pathogens spread, and to develop vaccines. It’s a race against time, as viruses have long since come to have enormous global consequences.

African Swine Fever is on the rise in Eastern Europe. In Germany, wild boars were found dead of ASF for the first time in the fall of 2020. It’s vital to stop the further spread of the disease. So far in Germany, its rampant spread has been limited to wild pigs, but there is a high risk that the virus will begin to affect pig farms.

An outbreak in Germany, the world’s third-largest pork producer, would be an economic disaster. Now, a promising potential vaccine is being tested in Riems. It could prove to be a life-saving solution.

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