The Potsdam Institute for Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI-BB focuses its research on innovations in the areas of food and environmental analysis, diagnostics, drug development and process engineering. The institute’s central research topics are biotechnological production processes, automation, nano- and microsystem technology, in particular the development of functional nucleic acids and cell-free protein synthesis systems. Based on this, the institute was able to acquire additional expertise in the development of methods for evaluating RNA active ingredients.

The Fraunhofer IZI-BB is involved in the consortium’s three interdisciplinary projects ZiEL, ZellPro and InnoCar with the “Eukaryotic Lysates” and “Functional Nucleic Acids – Aptamers” working groups. Fraunhofer’s extensive expertise is used here to improve the effectiveness and analytics of mRNA therapeutics. Cell-free protein synthesis is an “open system” that allows a direct look into the cell. On this basis, interactions of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) with cell organelles are being researched and new assays are being developed for the analysis of differently formulated mRNAs. In addition, functional nucleic acids such as aptamers and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are used to investigate mRNA transport and its release in the cytosol (endosomal escape), as well as the involvement of transport proteins in this process.

For the Fraunhofer IZI-BB, participating and contributing their expertise to all three research projects means great added value. The work in the consortium strengthens the expertise in the area of functional nucleic acids and assay developments for mRNA-based active ingredients and expands the Fraunhofer IZI-BB portfolio.