Episode 66

How do viruses work and what makes mRNA vaccines so powerful?

Episode Description

Virologist Trudy Rey explains the complex world of viruses, their genetic makeup, how they infect cells, and the future of mRNA technology in vaccines and cancer treatment. For anyone curious about viral genetics and the science behind vaccines.

Key words:

viruses, viral genetics, mRNA vaccines, COVID-19, HIV, virus evolution, vaccine misconceptions, cancer vaccines, virology, immune response

Key Topics:

Differences between DNA and RNA viruses
Viral mutation rates and evolution
How viruses hijack host cell machinery
The science behind mRNA vaccines
Myths and misconceptions about vaccines
Future directions in vaccine technology and cancer treatment

Guest bio:

Gertrud Rey (who also goes by Trudy Rey) is a trained virologist who resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She has a PhD in molecular genetics and biochemistry from Georgia State University, where her studies involved the analysis of various aspects of the genetics of West Nile virus and simian hemorrhagic fever virus. After finishing the PhD program in 2007, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she continued to study virology in the context of respiratory syncytial virus, with a more pronounced focus on immunology. During that time, she was also a lecturer at Georgia State University, where she designed an undergraduate biology course and supervised teaching assistants at the university’s biology laboratory. In 2012, she decided to shift her professional path and began pursuing a career in patent law. She is now registered as a patent agent at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and works for a major law firm. Her day to day responsibilities include preparing and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications in the field of molecular and cell biology, virology, biochemistry, genetic engineering, tissue engineering, transgenic biology, stem cell research, immunology, drug delivery, phage therapeutics, and medical devices. However, Trudy still spends much of her free time communicating science, both for virology blog, and for her very own YouTube channel, where she hosts a show about viruses called “Catch This.” Facebook - "Trudy Rey"; X and Bluesky - "Dr. T"; Instagram - "TrudyURey"

Resources related to today’s topic:

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