For encapsulation, biomimetic concentrations of 160 mM 2-methylimidazole (2-MeIM) and 40 mM Zn (NO3)2•6H2O were employed, along with common solvents for ZIF-8 synthesis, namely nuclease-free water, ethanol, and methanol. Note that the biomimetic mineralization of ZIF-8 has not been demonstrated to occur in ethanol or methanol; hence, these synthetic methods are considered coprecipitation here. Individual samples of mRNA underwent the following experimental conditions: a 2-hour incubation in synthesis conditions for encapsulation, a 2-hour co-incubation of mRNA with synthesized ZIF-8 previously reported in the literature, or an encapsulation within ZIF-8 (mRNA@ZIF-8) using nuclease-free water, ethanol, and methanol. ZIF-8 and mRNA@ZIF-8 generated were characterized using powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as shown in Figure . After isolating or exfoliating mRNA from ZIF-8 using EDTA (exfoliation described in more detail in Figure ), the samples were analyzed on a native RNA gel. From Figure , the native RNA gel reveals evident mRNA degradation, indicated by red arrows, when incubated with ZIF-8 in methanol and subjected to 40 mM Zn (NO3)2•6H2O in methanol. Similarly, mRNA incubation with ZIF-8 in nuclease-free water exhibits visible degradation, whereas incubation with precursor solutions and encapsulated mRNA shows no degradation. The water-synthesized samples lacked matching PXRD patterns to simulated ZIF-8 and featured a variety of morphologies Figure . Ethanol demonstrates minimal to no mRNA degradation under all tested conditions, and mRNA@ZIF-8 generated in ethanol produced PXRD patterns agreeing with simulated ZIF-8 and monodispersed particles.