University of Pennsylvania auctions NFT COVID-19 Vaccine

The vice president of Christie’s New York said they estimate the auction price into six figures

Last week, one of the world’s most recognized auction houses, Christie’s, announced that it will hold an auction of an animation of the mRNA identified by scientists Dr. Drew Weissman and Kaitlin Kariko, used in the elaboration  of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines protects people against the coronavirus. 

This animation is the first Non fungible Token released by the Ivy League university. The piece includes a one-minute, 3D animation.

«The stunning speed with which the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were developed and their global success in fighting the pandemic has led to an explosion of interest in modified mRNA technology (that) can be applied across many fields,» said Dr. J. Larry Jameson, Penn Executive Vice President . 

This one-of-a-kind NFT presents the functioning of mRNA encapsulated within lipid nanoparticles and administered through a vaccine. It also includes an explanation of the mRNA, mRNA patent documents owned by the university and Penn Medicine, and an original letter from Dr. Weissman. 

Peter Klarnet, vice president of Christie’s New York said that proceeds from the auction will support research at the University of Pennsylvania, the mission of Penn Medicine and the work of Drew Weissman. He also added that they expected the final auction price to reach 6 or even 7 figures.

The ‘University of Pennsylvania mRNA NFT: Vaccines for a New Era‘ auction will be online, and will begin on the 15th at 10 am (EDT). It will run for 10 days, ending on July 25.

About Christie’s 

Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education.

Christie’s has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva.Christie’s auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million.