Our Research

Our cutting-edge research merges experimental and computational methods to revolutionize how RNA vaccines and therapeutics are produced. We're developing an advanced manufacturing platform that enables rapid, large-scale, and cost-effective production of RNA-based medicines—without compromising on quality.

To achieve this, we are integrating physical and digital technologies within a Quality by Digital Design framework, guided by rigorous techno-economic modelling. Our platform will provide powerful digital tools and computer models that directly link RNA product quality to specific steps in the production process—accelerating both process development and operation.

RNA platform technologies have already proven their potential during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling vaccines to be developed and deployed at unprecedented speeds. Now, we’re pushing the boundaries further—scaling up production volumes and rates, reducing costs, and ensuring consistent quality across diverse applications.

Because RNA vaccines and therapeutics can be produced using a universal platform, the same infrastructure can be rapidly adapted to target multiple diseases. As global demand for flexible, high-quality RNA manufacturing grows, the technologies we are developing are poised to become a cornerstone of future biopharmaceutical production.

Key research areas

• Experimental mRNA vaccine and RNA therapeutics manufacturing process development: process intensification, continuous manufacturing and scale-up.
• Development and optimisation of continuous in vitro transcription (IVT) reaction for mRNA synthesis, continuous mRNA downstream purification processes based on continuous chromatography and tangential flow filtration unit operations, as well as continuous LNP formulation unit operations.
• Development of new unit operations and design of process equipment for mRNA manufacturing.
• We are developing high-performing processes for the production of not only messenger RNA (mRNA), but also circular RNA (circRNA) and self-amplifying RNA (saRNA).
• Process digitalisation: development of soft sensors and digital twins to monitor and control the manufacturing of RNA vaccines, RNA therapeutics and other biopharmaceuticals.
• Techno-economic modelling for reducing the costs, increasing production rates and increasing production volumes of RNA vaccines, RNA therapeutics and other biopharmaceuticals.
• Quality by Digital Design for consistently ensuring product quality, support scale-up, technology transfer, and for accelerating the regulatory approval process.

Publications

Our list of publications is available on the University of Sheffield webpage and on the Google Scholar page of Prof Zoltán Kis.

We are grateful to our funders