June 20, 2025 Murphy leads effort for shelf-stable mRNA vaccine pills Written By: Staff Departments: Biomedical Engineering Categories: Grants|Research William Murphy, the Harvey D. Spangler Professor of biomedical engineering and orthopedics and rehabilitation, will lead a project to develop messenger RNA therapies that can be stored at room temperature. The research is funded through the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Research Forward initiative, with support from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Murphy, who also holds an H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship, has previously developed mineral coatings that could allow for shelf-stable mRNA therapies such as vaccines. The instability of mRNA therapies means that, currently, they must be stored at very low temperatures, which limits their reach across the world and causes significant logistical challenges. The research team, which also includes Professors Marulasiddappa Suresh (pathobiological sciences), Douglas McNeel (hematology, medical oncology and palliative care) and Jorge Osorio (pathobiological sciences), will initially look at vaccines for prostate cancer and the H5N1 influenza, or bird flu. They aim to make pill-form mRNA therapies that could be stored indefinitely at room temperature. The Research Forward initiative, hosted by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, supports collaborative, multidisciplinary projects that are high-risk, high-impact and transformative.