Driven by curiosity: master student Linde Schoenmaker publishes review paper about COVID-19 vaccine stability
During her search for a subject for the literature study of the Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences master programme, Linde Schoenmaker read a press release about the ultra-low storage temperatures of the COVID-19 vaccines. She wondered why these vaccines must be stored at such cold conditions. Her question eventually turned into a literature review that formed the basis for a publication.
Linde: “At the start, all I knew about mRNA vaccines was that the mRNA is packaged in nanoparticles. Through an analysis of the literature, I came to a number of interesting conclusions. For example, it is very likely that the reason for the cold storage is the instability of the mRNA itself. This is likely because even inside the nanoparticles the mRNA can interact with water.
Shortly after the completion of her literature review, Linde published her work in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, with support from a few experts in the field. Linde: “This has been a very exciting experience, from which I’ve learned a lot about not only about mRNA vaccines and the publishing process, but also the importance of following your curiosity. I’m very grateful to everyone who has played a role in this project.”
Link to the publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120586