mRNA-LNP Development and Service Laboratory

WELCOME ON OUR WEBPAGE

The mission of our laboratory is to develop and utilize mRNA-LNP technologies for basic research and biotechnology purposes.

THE mRNA-LNP TECHNOLOGY

A widely used method of combating serious infectious diseases is vaccination. Thanks to vaccines spread over the past century and a half, we have successfully fought smallpox, measles, poliovirus, and many other infections. The nucleoside modified mRNA technology, for the development of which Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2023, offers revolutionary new possibilities in this field. The development of RNA vaccines is fast, cheap, and safe, therefore mRNA-based vaccination can be a viable solution for dealing with sudden pandemics as well as for controlling infections of local importance. Combination of the mRNA technology with the state-of-the-art lipid nanoparticle methods resulted of the mRNA-LNP technology which, in addition to vaccine development forms the basis for cancer vaccines, biological therapies, and many other biological and biotechnological developments. The mRNA-LNP development and service laboratory provides the entire technological line of the mRNA-LNP design and production to its cooperation partners.

ABOUT US

One of the objectives of the National Laboratory for Biotechnology launched in 2019, is to introduce mRNA-LNP technology in Hungary, and to establish a research facility suitable for the further development of the technology and the extension of its fields of application at the HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged. As a result of investment, a fully equipped mRNA-LNP development and service laboratory has been established. The laboratory is able to apply and developing the entire mRNA-LNP technology platform, developing new vaccination and biotechnological applications beyond vaccination with cooperating partners. The mRNA-LNP Development and Service Laboratory has been accepting applications from cooperation partners for joint technological developments from May 2022.

OUR ACTIVITY

mRNA-LNP Production and Quality Control

Within the framework of a research cooperation or research contract, the laboratory undertakes the production and quality control of mRNA-LNP products suitable for in vitro and in vivo testing based on a standard operational procedure.

mRNA-LNP based experimental design and optimization

Within the framework of a research cooperation or research contract, the laboratory undertakes the entire process of the mRNA-LNP production, the design and optimization of the mRNA template, codon optimization, in vitro synthesis, and LNP formulation.

Immunological control experiments

Within the framework of a research cooperation or research contract, the laboratory undertakes the production of protein antigens necessary for the implementation of ELISA and ELISpot type immunological control experiments, and to measure the efficacy of the mRNA-LNP treatments,

INNOVATIONS

Vaccine Development

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a worldwide pathogen also present in Hungary, that poses a threat to both wild boar and domestic pig populations. There is currently no effective and safe vaccine against this virus which causes enormous ecological and economic damage. In the framework of joint research program with the University of Pennsylvania. our laboratory is working on mRNS-LNP ASFV vaccine development.

LNP Technology Development

A key element of the success of mRNA-LNP technology is the efficient delivery of the in vitro produced nucleoside modified mRNA into cells and tissues. Currently, ionizable cationic lipid containing LNPs are the most effective vectors. One of the priority areas of mRNA-LNP technology development is the elaboration of special LNP lipid composition that best suitable to the given research and development goal. Our laboratory has created a self-developed ionizable cationic lipid family, with the members of which a wide range of mRNA-LNP developments can be carried out.