Katalin Karikó

From butcher's daughter in communist Hungary to winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, this is the story of one woman's extraordinary determination and her breakthrough discovery that saved millions of lives.'Riveting. A true story of a brilliant biochemist who never gave up or gave in' BONNIE GARMUS'This remarkable memoir ... is a joy to read' FINANCIAL TIMES'Karikó's story is an inspiration' BILL GATESKatalin Karikó began life as a butcher’s daughter in communist Hungary. Raised in a one-room home of clay and straw with no running water, she saw potential everywhere: in the promise of a seed, in the alchemy of soap, in the scarlet of a carcass.Breaking Through is the extraordinary story of her courageous determination – first to become a scientist, and then to unlock an elusive molecule she believed could revolutionise medicine. Others disagreed, and for decades she endured demotions, discrimination and even threats of deportation. Yet Karikó persevered, ultimately making a world-shifting discovery: the mRNA vaccine technology that saved millions of lives and will transform healthcare forever.'A vividly written, absorbing memoir’ GUARDIAN'It is almost impossible not to feel moved by this story' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT'Will make you laugh, think and maybe even readjust the way you see the world' KATJA HOYER*An Amazon Best Book of the Year* *One of Nature's five best science books for 2024* *A Financial Times Best Summer Book of 2024*

From butcher's daughter in Communist Hungary to winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine 2023, this is the story of one woman's extraordinary determination through decades of obscurity and rejection - and her breakthrough discovery that saved millions of lives.'Riveting. A true story of a brilliant biochemist who never gave up or gave in' BONNIE GARMUS, author of Lessons in Chemistry'Anyone who has ever doubted that science, innovation and persistence can change the world should read this book' BILL GATESKatalin 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 mRNA vaccines that brought an end to the pandemic, paving the way for similar vaccines against cancer, 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.'Few have overcome adversity like Katalin Karikó . . . This remarkable memoir . . . is a joy to read' Financial Times*An Amazon Best Book of the Year* *One of Nature's five best science books for 2024* *An FT Best Summer Book of 2024*

A powerful memoir from Katalin Karik , winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, whose decades-long research led to the COVID-19 vaccines "Katalin Karik 's story is an inspiration."--Bill Gates "Riveting . . . a true story of a brilliant biochemist who never gave up or gave in."--Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in ChemistryA KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Katalin Karik has had an unlikely journey. The daughter of a butcher in postwar communist Hungary, Karik grew up in an adobe home that lacked running water, and her family grew their own vegetables. She saw the wonders of nature all around her and was determined to become a scientist. That determination eventually brought her to the United States, where she arrived as a postdoctoral fellow in 1985 with $1,200 sewn into her toddler's teddy bear and a dream to remake medicine. Karik worked in obscurity, battled cockroaches in a windowless lab, and faced outright derision and even deportation threats from her bosses and colleagues. She balked as prestigious research institutions increasingly conflated science and money. Despite setbacks, she never wavered in her belief that an ephemeral and underappreciated molecule called messenger RNA could change the world. Karik believed that someday mRNA would transform ordinary cells into tiny factories capable of producing their own medicines on demand. She sacrificed nearly everything for this dream, but the obstacles she faced only motivated her, and eventually she succeeded. Karik 's three-decade-long investigation into mRNA would lead to a staggering achievement: vaccines that protected millions of people from the most dire consequences of COVID-19. These vaccines are just the beginning of mRNA's potential. Today, the medical community eagerly awaits more mRNA vaccines--for the flu, HIV, and other emerging infectious diseases.Breaking Through isn't just the story of an extraordinary woman. It's an indictment of closed-minded thinking and a testament to one woman's commitment to laboring intensely in obscurity--knowing she might never be recognized in a culture that is driven by prestige, power, and privilege--because she believed her work would save lives.