Messenger ribonucleic acid — known as mRNA — was discovered in the 1960s, but it has reached new heights of popularity among vaccine developers due to its flexibility and adaptability to emerging infectious diseases.

[CAPE TOWN] A five-year collaborative research programme to promote HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) research in South Africa has announced new first-year grants worth US$8 million.

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death in South Africa due, in part, to the high prevalence of HIV. Today, the country faces the additional problem of TB bacteria becoming resistant to all available antibiotics. Doctors are running out of treatment options and, as they await new drugs and vaccines, reducing transmission becomes a crucial component of disease control. The following audio slideshow investigates the problem in the townships of Cape Town.