# mRNA vaccine co-design

> **Placeholder.** This problem is here so the problem panel can be tried out. Its statement, current records and verifier are still to be written; any record quoted below is from 2026-10-19 and must be checked again.

## Problem

Extend LinearDesign (Nature, 2023): choose synonymous codons for a target protein to lower minimum free energy while codon adaptation stays high, and avoid restriction sites, long double-stranded regions and extreme GC windows. The translation is checked exactly; folding is scored with ViennaRNA. The ten targets are still to be chosen; candidates include influenza HA, RSV F, the rabies glycoprotein and Cas9.