Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) Development Platform

Ensuring New Zealand has well-connected and world-class research capability to strengthen the use and commercialisation of RNA technology

The rapid development of mRNA vaccines for the COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies the revolutionary potential of mRNA technology. Taking just 63 days to reach clinical trials, the vaccines demonstrated RNA technology’s capacity to develop safe, effective vaccines at speed.

The novelty in RNA lies in its ability to shift the most challenging element of manufacture to the natural bioreactor – the human body. This ground‐breaking discovery quickly led to the realization that more broadly, RNA‐based therapeutics offer new potential to go beyond vaccines and infectious diseases to treat other conditions such as cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular conditions, and autoimmune diseases.

The establishment of an Aotearoa/New Zealand RNA technology platform will capitalize on the exciting opportunities initially presented by mRNA to build scientific expertise, capability, and self‐sufficiency in an end‐to‐end RNA technology platform for Aotearoa/New Zealand. This science and technology platform will support New Zealand's capability in the design and production of RNA therapeutics and vaccines, bring together the best cross‐disciplinary and cross‐institutional experts and teams, connect New Zealand researchers to relevant international efforts and developments, and further assist New Zealand companies to deliver new RNA products and services. Ultimately it will provide a new degree of resilience for New Zealand, as we would have the ability to rapidly develop and manufacture a vaccine for New Zealand and our Pacific neighbours in the case of a future global pandemic.

The Platform is co‐hosted by Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Auckland, supported by the University of Otago and the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. The Platform will make use of and develop existing capabilities nationwide.

Fast Start Projects

Fast Start is a set of research endeavours that are imitated within the RNA Platform.

Check out 8 projects selected

Vision and mission

Our vision is to build world-class and sustainable national capability for the development, manufacture, and commercialisation of RNA technologies in New Zealand