Innovative mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines offer hope in the fight against cancer, genetic disorders and infections. However, their development and production are complex, slow and difficult to scale. Seven Fraunhofer institutes are working to change this situation. In the RNAuto project, they have now developed an automated, digitally controlled production system that is fast, flexible and cost-effective.

Medical research has made great progress in developing mRNA-based drugs (RNA is ribonucleic acid, and the “m” stands for “messenger”). Their active ingredients can transport a protein’s blueprint, i.e., its genetic information, into cells. They are used in medicine in vaccines, gene and cell therapies, which are all highly effective treatments for infectious and genetic diseases or cancer.