Explanation –   Codon de-optimisation involves changing the codons to less common ones, which slows down protein translation and weakens the virus, but the proteins produced remain unchanged. Codon de-optimization is a technique used in vaccine development to weaken a virus by altering its genetic code without changing the proteins it produces. This technique involves modifying the virus’s RNA or DNA sequence in such a way that the codons (the triplets of nucleotides that encode amino acids) used in the viral genome are less frequently used by the host organism. This leads to slower or less efficient translation of viral proteins, resulting in a weakened virus that can still stimulate an immune response without causing disease.

Source: The Hindu