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Not that I agree with the parent but isn't technically mRNA used to "hack" DNA to make it synthesize a specific protein?
by abiogenesis 6y ago
Not that I agree with the parent but isn't technically mRNA used to "hack" DNA to make it synthesize a specific protein?
- detaro 6y agono. DNA doesn't synthesize proteins. Roughly: Protein descriptions are "read" from DNA into mRNA, which is then used by ribosomes to synthesize proteins. An mRNA vaccine adds additional mRNA with instructions to synthesize the vaccine-specific protein to the cells. So it uses some of the same mechanisms that are also used to generate proteins from DNA, but does not involve DNA itself.
- programmarchy 6y agoRight. This process happens outside of the nucleus of the cell. Perhaps people are getting mRNA vaccines confused with CRISPR, which _is_ a technique to modify DNA.