ARTICLES BY ANNA ROSE WELCH

• The Cell-Free Revolution: Breaking The Plasmid DNA Bottleneck

  5/20/2026

  I was excited to be given the opportunity to sit down with Jodi Barrientos, CEO, Ribbon Bio, to learn more about the current state of the synthetic DNA space. In the following Q&A, Barrientos and I discuss some of the synthetic DNA industry’s biggest goals and the challenges that stand in the way of bringing synthetic plasmids more commonly into the mRNA development paradigm. 

• Order, Chaos, And The mRNA Black Box: Takeaways From The USP/AMM Forum

  5/4/2026

  To be clear, this year’s USP/AMM quality forum was just as focused on the intricacies of applying/using the methods. But what was equally if not more present in this year’s discussion was our increasing acknowledgement that our understanding of mRNA and its biological mechanisms remains quite messy.

• Beyond The Gold Standard(s): Modernizing Oligonucleotide Synthesis

  4/13/2026

  A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down with OPT Congress speaker Phil Baran, Richard Lerner Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research. Baran was slated to (and did) present a keynote on the innovations shaping the next generation of oligo synthesis. Here, I share the biggest takeaways I had from our conversation, touching on how he sees the science of oligo chemistry and manufacturing advancing in the near and far future. 

• The RNA Ties That Bind: 3 Takeaways From The OPT Congress

  4/1/2026

  Here, I unpack three takeaways I had from the OPT Congress, each of which I’d argue are indicative of the interconnectedness across the genetic medicines field.

• Mapping The LNP Frontier: The Quest For Better LNPs

  3/17/2026

  Having previously served as the head of delivery sciences for Moderna pre-pandemic, Almarsson was part of the RNA-LNP delivery journey long before it was scientifically en vogue. That’s why I was excited to sit down with him to discuss the latest and greatest advancements in the RNA-LNP space. Here, we take stock of the developments he’s been watching in the passive and active delivery spaces.

• Inside Alnylam's Playbook For High Volume siRNA Production

  3/10/2026

  As one of the first companies to establish a chemoenzymatic ligation platform, Alnylam's Maines and Nechev are in the perfect position to espouse wisdom on the practical aspects and remaining challenges of implementing enzymatic ligation at a large scale. Here in this installment, Maines and Nechev outline what they’ve learned thus far about the science of enzymatic ligation, while also paying credence to the unknowns and existing barriers that, as a frontrunner, Alnylam will inevitably (but willingly) be tasked with facing in the future.

• The "Middle Ground" Advantage: Why Alnylam Is Betting Big On Chemoenzymatic Ligation

  3/3/2026

  Though conversations are picking up around this hybrid approach, we aren’t exactly known as an industry that embraces risk no-holds barred. While there are a handful of manufacturers and CDMOs who are embracing the hybrid model today, there are many more that are likely to hold out for the next-next gen approach: Fully enzymatic oligo production. However, as Alynlam’s CTO and Chief Quality Officer Tim Maines argued, embarking into the “middle ground” of enzymatic ligation is essential for garnering the step-by-step learnings needed to help us unlock even bigger manufacturing wins in the future. 

• The Monster Under The Bed: Defining Potency in the mRNA Space

  2/13/2026

  During the CASSS mRNA Symposium last spring, a seemingly simple, straightforward question was raised: How are we defining and measuring our product’s potency? But as we already know, this is far from a straightforward question — and, dear reader, based on the resulting discussion amongst regulators and panel members, it became clear we have a lot of different definitions on what potency even is in the mRNA space.

• A New Space Race: Reclaiming Efficiency In The mRNA Industry

  1/27/2026

  It goes without saying that efficiency in drug development is tantamount — especially when it comes to getting much-needed clinical data. So, when I asked Allan Shaw about the ongoing trends he anticipates seeing more of in 2026, he immediately pointed to the increasing prominence of overseas development, particularly in nations like Australia and China. 

• Money In The Bank: Why 2025's Setbacks Were The Foundation RNA Needed

  1/5/2026

  I saw 2025 as a year that was foundational for our efforts to learn more about the biology and function of our products. However, there were two developments in particular that, to me, encapsulated the trials, tribulations, and ultimately the success of an industry that is doing its damnedest to answer one of the biggest questions facing us: “Why RNA?”