The recent success of the novel mRNA vaccine for covid-19 highlights the potential of this technology to develop vaccines for other viruses. One of these is Epstein-Barr virus, a common virus known to cause certain types of cancer and multiple sclerosis. However, it is not currently clear why certain people are more likely to get the infection than others.

Postgraduate researcher Marisa Muckian is working in a group at the University of Edinburgh who are aiming to use DNA to help determine who is more at risk of infection, and who to prioritise when a vaccine becomes available.