Asel Sartbaeva on protecting vaccines with a pinch of sand

Vaccines save millions of lives each year but, to work, most need to be kept cold throughout their journey, from the factory where they’re made to the clinic where they’re given. This relies on what’s known as the cold chain, a global network of fridges, freezers and icepacks. The chain is not only expensive to maintain, it’s incredibly vulnerable to breaking. In low- and middle- income countries, in particular, transport delays, power cuts and equipment failures often cause vaccines to spoil before they reach the people who need them.

An urgent quest in public health has been to find a way to stabilise vaccines, at room temperature, so that they no longer need this cold chain. This occurred to Asel Sartbaeva, during a routine visit to the GP with her newborn daughter. Originally from Kyrgyzstan and now Associate Professor of Chemistry at Bath University, Asel investigates silica-based materials. Not a typical background for someone working on vaccines, but it gave her a fresh perspective. She wasn’t focussed on changing the vaccine itself, instead, she asked a different question: could she use her knowledge silica-based materials and coat the vaccine in a protective shell that would allow it to survive at room temperature, eliminating the need for refrigeration?

Her solution? A perfectly tailored protective coat made silica, found in beach sand. If human trials are successful, she hopes that vaccines will travel to wherever they are needed by envelope and on drones.

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Beth Eastwood
A BBC Studios production