Pushing mRNA vaccine development timelines to new speeds

6 February 2025; OSLO; PARIS: Scientists in Paris are set to advance new technology that could streamline the production of mRNA-based vaccines while also improving global access to the technology.

CEPI is providing US$4.7 million to DNA Script to advance their capability to automate the manufacture of synthetic DNA templates—the starting blueprint required for producing mRNA. This funding could help to accelerate mRNA vaccine development timelines and enhance readiness to produce such vaccines, particularly in Global South regions. 

The process of producing mRNA itself takes only around seven days, but the creation of a DNA template can take up to a month, creating a bottleneck in the manufacturing process. That’s because these templates are traditionally generated through biologically manufactured processes, which are both costly and time-consuming.

This new project aims to overcome this challenge by generating synthetic DNA templates that can be rapidly produced within days rather than weeks, and without the need for expensive biopharmaceutical facilities or highly trained staff to run the process. This means the already rapid timelines for developing an mRNA vaccine candidate could safely be further compressed, and the technology could be made more easily accessible in Global South countries, where vaccine manufacturing infrastructure may be less established. 

The CEPI-DNA Script partnership supports the 100 Days Mission—a goal embraced by leaders of the G7 and G20 to reduce vaccine development timelines to a little over three months in response to a pandemic threat. 

Dr Raafat Fahim, Interim Executive Director of Manufacturing and Supply Chain, CEPI, said, “The speed at which mRNA-based vaccines can be developed and manufactured makes them particularly suited for outbreak response, yet there is potential for further acceleration in the future. DNA Script’s technology could help to provide crucial gains in the mRNA vaccine development timeline, while enabling local capability to respond to outbreaks in Global South countries through rapid development of mRNA-based vaccines.”

Marc Montserrat, CEO, DNA Script, said: "Our collaboration with CEPI to implement our proprietary enzymatic DNA synthesis technology directly supports the mission to accelerate vaccine development and delivery worldwide, and more broadly aligns with our vision to make biology programmable. By dramatically reducing the time needed to produce DNA templates, and by enabling the synthesis of longer and more complex DNA sequences, we're helping ensure that innovative vaccine technology can reach those at highest risk during emerging epidemics more rapidly than ever before."

Specifically, the project will pair DNA Script’s existing SYNTAX® device—which produces short DNA sequences, known as oligos—with an automated ‘gene assembler’ device capable of splicing these oligos together to create longer and more complex DNA Gene sequences that are required to produce the DNA template needed for mRNA vaccines. 

The project builds on the foundations of the R3 project, which was jointly funded by Wellcome Leap and CEPI, and will now focus on further optimisation and evolution to generate fit-for-purpose DNA template. This new partnership ultimately seeks to refine the process further by producing high-quality, high-yield synthesised DNA template for mRNA vaccine manufacturing.

Enabling equitable access

Enabling global equitable access to vaccines is central to CEPI’s work and at the heart of the 100 Days Mission. Innovations that accelerate the speed and scaling up of vaccine manufacturing will make a vital contribution to access when facing a future novel infectious disease by reducing the period during which vaccines against new pathogens are in short supply, thereby significantly increasing the prospects for more equitable distribution.

CEPI and DNA Script are committed to enabling equitable access to the outputs of this CEPI-supported programme, in line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy. This ultimately includes commitment to vaccines being available first to populations at risk when and where they are needed at an affordable price should a related vaccine be developed further using CEPI funding. Project results, including data generated as part of this project, will be published open access for the benefit of the global scientific community.

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About CEPI

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or a future Disease X. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating five-year plan for 2022-2026 is the ‘100 Days Mission’ to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.

About DNA Script

DNA Script is at the forefront of transforming biological research through advanced enzymatic DNA synthesis technology. We provide pioneering solutions for DNA production, including our cutting-edge SYNTAX® DNA printer and our enzymatic synthesis technology that enables the production of longer and more complex DNA sequences. Our innovations are driving progress across critical scientific domains, including mRNA vaccine development, cell and gene therapy, and broader biomolecular research. By offering researchers unprecedented capabilities to synthesize high-quality DNA sequences, we are accelerating discoveries that have the potential to revolutionize healthcare, biotechnology, and scientific understanding.