RNA Analytical/Quality Articles
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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.
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From Supporting Component to Strategic Driver: The Evolving Role of gRNA in CRISPR Therapeutics
4/21/2026
Guide RNA is evolving from a simple targeting reagent into a complex, engineered molecule shaped by expanding CRISPR modalities, increasing length and modification demands, and tighter integration with manufacturability, analytical control, and regulatory expectations.
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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.
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Rethinking ATMP Assurance When Sterility Timelines, Reality Misalign
3/27/2026
The compendial 14-day sterility testing window exposes product and patient to numerous risks, but settling on a rapid alternative also presents its own set of challenges.
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MicroRNA Therapeutics In Metabolic Liver Disease: Context-Driven Drug Discovery
3/12/2026
Realizing the therapeutic potential of miRNAs in liver disease requires confronting a problem the field has not fully reckoned with.
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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.
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Proteomics Tools: A Resurrection
3/4/2026
For decades, the evolution of proteomics has lagged. Now, a resurrection is underway. New tools are dismantling limitations, signifying a maturation of systems biology.
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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.
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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.
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Innovations In The Oligonucleotide Supply Chain: Regulatory Considerations For Materials, Manufacturing, And Lifecycle Control
1/30/2026
Oligonucleotide therapeutics have rapidly advanced into late-stage and commercial development, shifting regulatory focus toward the maturity of manufacturing and supply chain control rather than therapeutic novelty. Regulatory success now depends on how effectively sponsors translate innovative chemistries into well-characterized, scalable, and sustainable materials and processes.