Die Memoiren von Katalin Karikó, Nobelpreisträgerin 2023, erzählen von ihrem Weg von der Kindheit im kommunistischen Ungarn zur mRNA-Forschung, die entscheidend für die COVID-19-Impfstoffe war. Sie thematisiert Herausforderungen in einer von Männern dominierten Welt und ihr Engagement für die Medizin.
Katalin Karikó's memoir chronicles her journey from humble beginnings in Communist Hungary to becoming a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist. Despite enduring decades of hardship, rejection, and skepticism, she remained steadfast in her belief that a specific molecule could revolutionize disease prevention. Her relentless pursuit culminated in the development of mRNA vaccines, which played a crucial role in combating the pandemic and hold promise for future medical breakthroughs. This inspiring story highlights resilience, dedication, and the transformative power of science.
"Katalin Karikó began life as a butcher's daughter in post-war Communist Hungary: a hand-to-mouth existence in a single-room house of clay and straw with no running water. Breaking Through is her extraordinary memoir of how she achieved her dream of becoming a scientist, first in Hungary and then in the USA, and pursued her belief - despite so many telling her not to - that an elusive molecule could transform our ability to prevent disease. For three decades she worked in obscurity, battling cockroaches in a windowless lab, enduring demotion, the derision of her colleagues, even threats of deportation. But in 2020, Karikó's vision was spectacularly vindicated when her work made possible the vaccines that brought an end to the pandemic, paving the way for similar vaccines against HIV, malaria and other life-threatening diseases. As frank, wise and fearless as Karikó herself, Breaking Through is a remarkable story of tenacity, friendship and loyalty, and one woman's unshakeable commitment to her values."--förlagstext.