Group of Bioinspired Materials and Devices Collaborates on mRNA Vaccine Development with BioCina and Cytiva, Supported by CRC-P and MRFF Grants

The Group of Bioinspired Materials and Devices at the University of Adelaide is delighted to share an update on its collaboration with BioCina and Cytiva, focusing on the development of precision mRNA vaccines and RNA therapeutics. This partnership is fuelled by two significant grant awards: the $3.0m AUD Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grant “mRNA manufacturing and formulation service for late stage clinical trials” announced in April 2022, and the $5.0m AUD Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant “mRNA Clinical Trial Enabling Infrastructure” announced in April 2023. The South Australian Government also contributes additional funding to support these innovative projects.

With the backing of the CRC-P grant, our research group has been developing advanced lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations with improved stability to optimize delivery and therapeutic efficacy of mRNA. The MRFF grant further extends our collaborative efforts to address the post-pandemic demand for personalized RNA products, enhancing mRNA manufacturing capabilities and developing new automated microfluidics technology to produce personalised mRNA therapeutic vaccines.

The Group of Bioinspired Materials and Devices is proud to contribute its expertise in LNP formulation and microfluidics to this important collaboration. We aim to accelerate the development of RNA-based products and improve their stability, thus expediting progress towards clinical trials for future vaccines and treatments for various diseases, including cancer. Our team is enthusiastic about the progress we have made so far and looks forward to sharing further updates on our collaborative research efforts, as we continue to advance mRNA vaccine development and manufacturing capabilities in Australia.