A new parcel of federal funding will help AIBN researchers produce clinical-grade mRNA products that are safer and better quality, and will potentially cost less.
A fresh $740,000 ARC Linkage grant will allow the team at the BASE mRNA facility to deepen their research partnership with UK-based Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and ultimately boost the quality of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics manufactured right here in Queensland.
BASE is the largest supplier of research-use mRNA in Australia, and in 2023 the facility teamed up with Oxford Nanopore to harness the latest and improved nanopore-based sequencing technology, known as VAX-seq.
Join The Network
Stay on top of our industry news and developments, events and opportunities, by joining The Network
Sign up todayBASE director and AIBN group leader Associate Professor Tim Mercer said the newly awarded Linkage grant will allow his team to integrate VAX-seq into the evolving clinical manufacturing capabilities of the BASE Facility.
“The mRNA manufacturing industry has grown rapidly to address the worldwide demand for vaccines, but more than half the time and cost to manufacture an mRNA vaccine is required for quality control, which is currently slow, expensive, and inaccurate,” Dr Mercer said.
“We have developed a streamlined nanopore sequencing test, VAX-seq, that analyses mRNA quality with superior accuracy and at reduced cost and time.”
BASE mRNA technologies researcher Dr Helen Gunter said the team will benchmark VAX-seq against current quality control methods.
“Whilst we anticipate its adoption across the pharmaceutical industry, the greatest benefit of VAX-Seq will ultimately be safer and more effective mRNA vaccines,” Dr Gunter said.
Also named on the grant are BASE deputy director Dr Seth Cheetham, Dr Rachel Chang, and Dr Natasha Chaudhary.
Since its launch in 2021, BASE has provided academic and industry partners with more than 300 experimental grade vaccines.
In 2023 the facility was awarded $6.6 million funding to boost clinical mRNA production capabilities.
BASE is also a crucial component of the $280 million Translational Science Hub in Brisbane funded by global biotech Sanofi, the Queensland government, The University of Queensland, and Griffith University.
