Mumbai, Oct. 27 -- PopVax's Hyderabad lab hums with activity as about 100 computer scientists, molecular biologists, immunologists and engineers work on everything from computational design, machine learning and robotics to wet-lab testing of mRNA vaccines and even manufacturing clinical doses for testing.

mRNA vaccines instruct cells to make a harmless viral protein, training the immune system without injecting any form of the virus. Wet-lab testing involves researchers conducting physical experiments with a variety of substances.

PopVax recently took its first vaccine candidate-a fridge-stable, broad-spectrum covid vaccine that could help ease cold-chain concerns in developing countries-into human trials. It plans to make the vaccine ...