RALEIGH, N.C. — The COVID-19 pandemic has proven how quickly viruses can mutate into new variants. But, how fast can vaccines be modified to accommodate for these mutations? 


What You Need To Know

  • Jennifer Pancorobo is the Director of Industry Programs and Research at N.C. State's Biomanufacturing and Education Center. 

  • At the center, Pancorbo's studies focus on optimizing the production of MRNA vaccines

  • The COVID-19 vaccine is an MRNA vaccine 

  • In comparison to influenza, which is not an MRNA vaccine, Pancorbo says COVID does not have the wealth of systems in place yet to respond to new strains as fast

Jennifer Pancorbo is the Director of Industry Programs and Research at NC State's Biomanufacturing and Education Center. 

Pancorbo is a chemical engineer by training, focusing her graduate studies on biochemistry. 

"I took biochemistry, and I found it fascinating," said Pancorbo. 

After receiving her Ph.d., Pancorbo began her work with vaccines.

“I started to work with vaccines. At the time, working with vaccines was not exactly fashionable. Vaccines are sometimes difficult to work with, but I love vaccines,” said Pancorbo.

She then came to North Carolina State University as a senior scientist, heading industry programs and research at B Tech. At B Tech, her research focuses on how to optimize the production of MRNA vaccines.

“To better understand how the particles behave, how the MRNA behaves, and then from there we can optimize and make it better,” Pancorbo said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how quickly viruses can mutate, but Pancorbo says the positive side is the research and science is keeping up.

“Fortunately, COVID is an MRNA platform. MRNA systems can be very easily modified to go from one strain, to go from one variant to the next, so that’s one of the great things about MRNA,” said Pancorbo.

In comparison to influenza, which is not an MRNA vaccine, Pancorbo says COVID does not have the wealth of systems in place yet to respond to new strains as fast.

“So for us to be able to react to COVID in a very similar way that we react to influenza, we will need that surveillance in place in a very similar manor,” said Pancorbo.

Pancorbo says there are centers around the world that help collect data about strain circulation, which in turn help scientists make a prediction on what strains may be present that flu season.

“It tells us a lot of data about what we should put in the next variant and that is not quite there yet for COVID,” said Pancorbo.

As for when those systems will be in place, Pancorbo says a timeline is hard to determine.

“Part of the problem is, do we stop manufacturing the previous strain or not? Do we reformulate the vaccine? How are we going to go quickly into the approval process for the new variant? Do we have to go through clinical trials again or not?” said Pancorbo.