 As the Zika virus has become a larger and larger issue lately, we are left with just one question. What can we do about the Zika virus and how do we stop it? In order to understand the science of stopping the Zika virus, we first have to understand the science behind it. The Zika virus is transmitted to humans primarily through infected mosquitoes. Once inside the human body, the virus usually causes minor symptoms like joint and muscle, pain, fever, etc. and the host usually gets better after 2-7 days. Alright, so if the Zika virus causes such minor symptoms, why is there such a big deal about it? Well, sometimes the Zika virus decides to be a little bit meaner than usual and either does one of two things. Either causes an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the nerve cells, resulting in weakness and paralysis, or if the virus infects a pregnant woman, it can cause a neurological birth defect in the baby called microcephaly, in which the baby is born with an underdeveloped brain. You can learn more about that in my other video on how Zika virus causes microcephaly. Anyways, let's get to the main focus of this video, finding the potential cure for Zika. When the virus invades a host's body, the host's immune system produces antibodies, or proteins that bind to the antigens which are molecules found on the surface of viruses. By binding to the virus and keeping it trapped, the antibodies stop the virus from undergoing any further replication. However, in order to bind to the virus, the site of the antibody which binds to the antigen has to match the shape of the antigen molecule. Otherwise, the antibody can trap the virus. Fortunately, all Zika virus strains have the same surface antigen, meaning that a vaccine which provides immunity to one strain can provide immunity to all the strains. But how exactly do we make a vaccine? Well, it's simple, kind of. A vaccine releases a bacteria or virus in your body which is either dead or extremely weakened. As your immune system attacks the debilitated form of the pathogen, it gains immunity by producing antibodies which have the correctly shaped antigen binding area to bind to the pathogen. So, if the solution is that simple, why isn't there a vaccine for the Zika virus? Well, let's start off with the cost. To make a vaccine for Zika is a little bit expensive. And by little, I mean it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition, to develop a vaccine would take many, many, many years of research. We're talking decades of research. And with our current understanding of the Zika virus, we have a long way to go. Okay, so is there an alternative? The answer is yes. DNA vaccination is one of the newer forms of vaccination which is making waves. But what is DNA vaccination and how does it work? Well, simply put, DNA vaccines use the virus's DNA to provide immunity. And while the process for this seems fairly simple, it's more complicated than you realize. First, the virus's DNA is scanned. And when the gene that codes for the surface antigen is found, it is taken out and injected into the plasmid of a bacteria. The plasmid is a circular DNA molecule which are separate from the chromosomal DNA. After the viral DNA is inserted into the plasmid, the bacteria multiply, thus mass producing the plasmids containing the DNA. Then, through a process called plasmid purification, the plasmids are then separated from the bacteria and are injected into your body. Once in your body, the plasmids are then absorbed by your cells and will eventually find itself in the cell nucleus. In the nucleus, the plasmid DNA is translated for creating proteins, which in this case are the virus surface antigens which are then presented on the surface of the cell, where they are then recognized by a T cell, which is a cell that plays a huge role in activating the body's immune response. DNA vaccines are superior in many ways to regular vaccines. For starters, they are much safer, they are produced at much cheaper costs, and they can also be mass produced, much easier. So now you're probably thinking why hasn't DNA vaccinations made headlines for frequently putting an end to many terrible diseases? Well, to start off with, while DNA vaccinations do cause an immune response, it's usually a weak immune response. Also, the viruses DNA vaccines are built to protect against have an outer layer called a capsid, which is made of protein. However, some pathogens have an outer layer consisting of only polysaccharides, which can pose a problem since DNA vaccines are only limited to being able to protect against pathogens with protein capsids. Therefore, if we ever used a DNA vaccine against a pathogen with a polysaccharide capsid, it wouldn't work. Oh, and did I also forget to mention that DNA vaccines can also cause some pretty serious side effects, like chronic inflammation and destruction of healthy tissue, that kind of stuff. So, if DNA vaccinations have so many problems and risks with using them, should we use them against the Zika virus? The answer is yes. First of all, the Zika virus contains a protein capsid, which makes the Zika virus fall on the range of viruses DNA vaccinations protect against. Also, DNA vaccinations have shown to be effective against the Zika virus. In fact, in one study involving mice which are vulnerable to the disease, DNA vaccinations proved to do a good job of helping the mice fight the Zika virus. So perhaps we can win this war against Zika. With constant new advancements in medicine, like DNA vaccinations, we are assured that perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel. I've noticed lately that I've been putting out way too much space in physics videos and not enough biology videos, so I'm happy to announce there will be more biology videos coming soon. Talking primarily about the brain and diseases like the Zika virus, so stay tuned. And if you have a suggestion for a bio video, let me know in the comments below. And be sure to subscribe too for more upcoming science videos.