Vaccines could soon skip the freezer entirely — and reach anywhere

Right now, mRNA vaccines — the kind used for many COVID shots — must stay deep-frozen, down to minus 40°F, or they fall apart. That's why getting them to far-flung clinics needs an unbroken chain of freezers. MIT researchers used artificial intelligence to redesign the tiny fatty bubbles that carry the vaccine's instructions, making them far more heat-tough. The new versions stayed potent at room temperature for up to a year — even at nearly 100°F for two months — and vaccinated mice were just as protected as with the frozen kind. The team estimates cold-storage costs could fall by up to 86%.