Messenger RNA (mRNA) emerged as a powerful therapeutic tool for treatments in gene therapy, oncology, and infectious diseases, as recently demonstrated by vaccines against Covid-19. mRNA is produced by an enzymatic reaction that can be rapidly designed and scaled-up, and the platform is highly adaptable to different targets. One of the greatest challenges in mRNA production is the removal of process-related impurities stemming from in vitro transcription (IVT) reaction, such as residual nucleotide triphosphates, DNA template, enzymes, abortive transcripts. Affinity-based…
Author Archives: Rok Sekirnik
Ask the Expert: Using Monolith-Based Chromatography to Monitor In Vitro Transcription Reactions
In vitro transcription (IVT) is a critical step in messenger RNA (mRNA) production. In a March 2022 webinar, Rok Sekirnik (head of process development for mRNA and plasmid DNA (pDNA) applications at BIA Separations, part of Sartorius) explained that optimizing concentrations of reagents used during IVT helps to maximize the amount of mRNA that is produced. Drug developers have great need for analytical methods that can measure IVT in real time. Sekirnik showed how CIMac PrimaS monolith chromatography columns enable…