TriLink Invests in New RNA Innovation Center at Johns Hopkins

TriLink BioTechnologies, a Maravai LifeSciences company and global provider of life science reagents and services, has joined forces with Johns Hopkins University to accelerate transformational research in RNA therapeutics and discovery by establishing a new center within the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, leveraging TriLink’s RNA synthesis technology.

TriLink’s investment includes direct funding for the center and access to TriLink’s proprietary in vitro transcription technology, CleanScript, which will enable Hopkins researchers to advance mRNA development. Additionally, TriLink will provide technical expertise and access to other critical discovery and manufacturing supplies, further lowering the barriers to discovery and application.

“The collaboration with Johns Hopkins reinforces our commitment to advancing nucleic acid-based therapies,” commented Drew Burch, President, Nucleic Acid Products, Maravai LifeSciences. “Our participation in this center of excellence allows TriLink to share its deep knowledge and expertise in nucleic acid production, helping to enable these researchers at Hopkins with the tools they need to develop advanced therapies to treat patients.”

According to Ed Schlesinger, dean of the Whiting School of Engineering, the aspiration for this center is the transformation of human health through the development of breakthroughs in RNA applications. Schlesinger adds that the availability of cutting-edge discovery tools will enable Johns Hopkins to grow its RNA research community and increase the cycle of innovation on campus.

Jeff Coller, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of RNA Biology and Therapeutics and a leader in messenger RNA stability and translation will serve as the inaugural director of the center, which will be anchored in the Institute of NanoBioTechnology (INBT) and open this spring.

The center will bring together Johns Hopkins experts in RNA biology, genetic medicine, drug delivery, and biotechnology under one roof, serving as a training center for the next generation of RNA investigators and as a one-university nexus for RNA researchers across the various schools.