The second generation of Covid-19 vaccines, which are now in development as booster shots, is aimed at known variants, but they are not designed with future variants in mind. This is “whack-a-mole” vaccine development, an inefficient and costly approach that chases yesterday’s virus. What we need is “kill shot” immunity, which would protect people against all current and future variants and bring an end to the pandemic. It is possible to make a vaccine like this — if scientists closely study the patterns of how viruses mutate, and design vaccines for the viruses that we’re about to face, not just the ones we have now. This approach is especially important considering the number of ways viruses can emerge in humans, including from natural spillover (when a virus spreads from one species to another) or an accident in a virus research laboratory (“lab leak”) — both scenarios that are, appropriately, the subject of serious investigation... Here’s how Prophecy worked: First, researchers studied the genome of a dangerous virus to identify areas where the virus can mutate without destroying its ability to reproduce. An overwhelming majority of mutations make a virus weaker, so most mutations can be ignored. Second, scientists used computer models to test the remaining mutated viruses and simulate all possible changes in surface proteins, which are important for a virus’s ability to infect. Scientists then designed antibodies on the computer to target these proteins and help the body recognize the virus and fight it off. By working with our research partners, we could confirm our predictions by sequencing the newest variants obtained from patients around the world. Scientists can further adjust the designer vaccine or antibody based on immunity observed among people who survived the infection.