Nobel laureate and University of Szeged professor Katalin Karikó was among the featured speakers at the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, where she delivered a keynote address, joined two panel discussions, and met with young scientists and journalists. Held under the theme “Science Transcending Borders,” the internationally renowned gathering brought together Nobel laureates and outstanding early-career researchers from around the world. A historic highlight of this year’s gathering was that, for the first time, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting featured three Nobel laureates of Hungarian origin: Avram Hershko (born Ferenc Herskó), Katalin Karikó, and Ferenc Krausz.
The 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, held from June 28 to July 3, 2026, brought together 70 Nobel laureates and 600 outstanding young researchers. Participants from around the world gathered in the picturesque German town of Lindau to exchange ideas, foster scientific dialogue, and celebrate the global impact of research.
The jubilee event of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, which opened on June 28, 2026, marked a historic milestone: the first-ever in-person meeting of three Nobel laureates of Hungarian origin.
The photograph captures the first in-person meeting of Avram Hershko, Katalin Karikó, and Ferenc Krausz – three Nobel laureates of Hungarian origin – in Lindau, Germany (from left): Hershko, born in Karcag; Karikó, who grew up in Kisújszállás and completed her university studies and began her research career in Szeged; and Krausz, a native of Mór. Photo: Katalin Karikó
Global health in focus
The opening panel discussion of the Lindau program series on June 27, 2026, was particularly significant, bringing together Nobel laureates to address one of today’s most pressing global challenges.
At the opening discussion, held before an audience of scientists in Lindau, Katalin Karikó, the world-renowned mRNA researcher, examined a central question with immunologist Frederick J. Ramsdell and Morten Meldal, a biochemist at the University of Copenhagen: “Is global health a reality or an illusion in a divided world?” The discussion also featured José Manuel Barroso, former Prime Minister of Portugal and former President of the European Commission.
Katalin Karikó, Hungary’s first female Nobel Prize laureate, shared her perspectives on global health at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Screenshot: mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org
How are scientific breakthroughs achieved? This question lies at the heart of Breaking Through: My Life in Science, the bestselling memoir by Katalin Karikó, Hungary’s first female Nobel Prize laureate. Already translated into 15 languages, the book traces her path in science and the persistence behind her discoveries. At the Lindau Meeting, Professor Karikó addressed the same question through her personal experiences and reflections on innovation.
Professor Karikó’s thoughts on innovation also resonated with a broader theme of the Lindau Meeting: the responsibility of science to help address shared global challenges. This theme was at the center of a panel discussion held in Lindau on June 28, 2026, which audiences around the world can now revisit through the recorded session. Moderated by immunologist Stefan H. E. Kaufmann of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, the discussion explored the roles of solidarity, accountability, and scientific responsibility in confronting global challenges.
The stature of the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting was evident at the opening ceremony, where Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, delivered the welcome address. The gathering also brought together leading figures from public life, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who served from 2005 to 2021.
Lessons from a life in science
Professor Katalin Karikó played a particularly prominent role at the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, engaging with young researchers through lectures and panel discussions. Arriving from England, where she had just received an honorary degree from the University of Oxford, one of the highlights of her Lindau program was her inspiring lecture on June 29, titled Developing mRNA for Therapy: My Journey. In the lecture, she traced the path from the discovery of messenger RNA in 1961 to the development of mRNA-based vaccines that helped curb the COVID-19 pandemic. The significance of this achievement is also reflected in a poster from the 2023 Nobel Prize award ceremony in Sweden, featured on the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings website, commemorating the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded jointly to Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
In Lindau, Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó also highlighted Szeged’s role as a leading center for higher education and research. Screenshot: mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org
In her lecture, Katalin Karikó traced the evolution of messenger RNA research, linking pivotal discoveries and innovations to milestones in her own career. She concluded by outlining the wide range of therapeutic applications of mRNA. Screenshot: mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org
“In 1978, researchers demonstrated that isolated mRNA introduced into mammalian cells could produce the encoded protein. A major breakthrough followed in 1984 with the introduction of in vitro transcription, which made it possible to synthesize mRNA encoding virtually any desired protein from the corresponding DNA using phage RNA polymerases. During the early 1990s, in vitro-transcribed mRNA was primarily investigated in animal models as a potential vaccine platform against infectious diseases and cancer. Although these studies marked important progress toward therapeutic applications, the inflammatory nature of mRNA initially limited its clinical potential. Together with my colleagues, we reached a major milestone by eliminating this immune response through the replacement of uridine with pseudouridine in mRNA. We also demonstrated that nucleoside-modified mRNA formulated in lipid nanoparticles could serve as an effective vaccine platform. These discoveries paved the way for the development of groundbreaking mRNA-based therapies to treat previously incurable diseases and address unmet medical needs,” Katalin Karikó said in her lecture.
Published in 15 languages, Katalin Karikó’s memoir, Breaking Through: My Life in Science, inspires readers around the world by showing that scientific discovery is an exciting journey and that a career in research can be deeply rewarding. Screenshot: mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org
Subatomic motion in the service of prevention
In his lecture, Ferenc Krausz, co-recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics, explored emerging opportunities for advancing preventive healthcare.
“At the dawn of the new millennium, the emergence of attosecond metrology made it possible to record subatomic motion for the first time. When these motions are induced and measured in molecules found in human blood, they can reveal changes in a sample’s molecular composition and provide early indicators of emerging health disorders,” Ferenc Krausz explained in the summary of his lecture. He added that his team had found evidence that “this approach can provide signals of emerging chronic diseases years before they produce symptoms and are clinically diagnosed. For the first time, these findings open up the possibility of monitoring human health in a cost-effective way.”
Beyond the scientific focus of his lecture, Krausz’s appearance in Lindau also provided an opportunity to highlight his ties to Szeged, where the Nobel laureate has conducted research and experiments at the laboratories of the ELI-ALPS Research Institute.
First encounter
For Katalin Karikó, the Lindau Meeting also had a personal significance: it was here that she met fellow Nobel laureate Avram Hershko in person for the first time. Their encounter brought together two internationally renowned scientists with roots in Hungary’s Nagykunság region.
Katalin Karikó and Avram Hershko both have roots in Hungary’s Nagykunság region – Karikó grew up in Kisújszállás, while Hershko was born in nearby Karcag – yet their scientific careers followed markedly different paths before they met in person for the first time in Lindau. Karikó, a biochemist, received the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, whereas Hershko, a physician-scientist, was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Both have also received the Lasker Award and the Canada Gairdner International Award. Photo: Katalin Karikó
On July 1, 2026, Karikó and Hershko took part in the Lessons From Life Synergy Talk. They were joined by biochemist Tim Hunt, a frequent visitor to the University of Szeged; pharmacologist Louis J. Ignarro; and Robert C. Merton, recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
How can researchers strike the right balance between minimizing the risk of failure and preserving the freedom to innovate? Is there room in science for unconventional thinkers whose brilliant ideas are matched by equally unconventional personalities? Can seemingly ‘useless’ hobbies, travel, or other life experiences contribute to future scientific breakthroughs? And what advice would these Nobel laureates give their younger selves?
These thought-provoking questions shaped the discussion, which brought together Nobel laureates from different fields to reflect on failure, creativity, unconventional thinking, and the life experiences that can shape scientific discovery.
Continuing a long-standing Lindau tradition, the lectures delivered at the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting will be published, allowing the ideas shared there to reach audiences well beyond the event itself. The Meeting’s impact, however, is shaped not only by these lasting records but also by the direct encounters it fostered: throughout the interdisciplinary program, Katalin Karikó and nearly 70 fellow Nobel laureates engaged with students and early-career researchers, sharing their experiences and encouraging the next generation of scientists. Until the Meeting concluded on July 3, 2026, the picturesque German island town served as a vibrant hub of the international scientific community.
Feature photo: The photograph captures the first occasion on which Avram Hershko, Katalin Karikó, and Ferenc Krausz – three Nobel laureates of Hungarian origin – met in person together, at the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.
Original Hungarian article by Ilona Újszászi
Photos: Katalin Karikó, lindau-nobel.org
