Are you an aspiring scientist interested in viruses? This seminar-style class will cover the foundational molecular biology discoveries during the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the novel mRNA vaccine. This class will involve several pieces of scientific literature, the history of coronavirus diseases, the progression of the pandemic, and scientific methods that led to the modern mRNA vaccine. Topics include: SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, antibodies, mRNA Vaccine, and Paxlovid.