Borrowing from the anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil, Penn Engineers used a century-old chemical reaction to redesign the lipid nanoparticles that deliver mRNA. By adding phenol groups, antioxidant compounds found in olive oil, to the delivery molecules, they created a new class of lipids that reduce inflammation and enhance performance. The result is a safer, more effective platform for mRNA vaccines and therapies, with promising results in animal models of COVID-19, cancer and gene editing.