Platform Structure
Six interconnected Pillars provide expertise across the RNA development pipeline, while research projects strengthen and advance the capabilities within each Pillar. The knowledge, technologies, and innovations generated through these projects feed into the Platform's central RNA production facility, where they are integrated into high-quality manufacturing capability.
This collaborative model ensures that expertise developed across the Platform continually strengthens the central facility, enabling it to support increasingly ambitious research, accelerate translation into RNA therapeutics, and enhance New Zealand's long-term preparedness for future health challenges.
Six Pillars
The Platform is built around six interconnected Pillars, each representing a critical stage of the RNA development and manufacturing pipeline. Together, these Pillars provide the expertise and infrastructure needed to translate research into therapeutic applications.
Central Production facility
Central to the Platform is a dedicated RNA production facility, which provides researchers with access to high-quality research-grade RNA manufacturing. The facility underpins the Platform's flagship projects and serves as a national resource to accelerate RNA research, technology development, and future translation into clinical and commercial applications.
RNA synthesis in a laboratory setting is technically challenging, but producing RNA at scale with the quality, consistency, and reproducibility required for human and animal therapeutics presents an even greater challenge.
Projects
Flagships
High-impact projects that bring together multiple expert teams within the RNA Platform. While pillar projects focus on capability building within specific domains, flagship projects aim to connect and integrate as many of the pillars as possible, fostering a cohesive, multi-disciplinary approach from design through to GMP manufacture and trials.
Flagship
Staph Infection vaccine
Proves platform can take a vaccine from the lab to being ready for human trials.
The goal is to build a better vaccine against Staph bacteria - a common infection that can become serious in hospitals.
flagship
Universal flu vaccine
Strengthening the Platform's pandemic-response capacity.
The goal is to create a flu vaccine that protects against many strains at once. - not just this year's version, but future ones too.
flagship
Cattle Disease Vaccine
NZ's first RNA vaccine for animals, proving the platform works from start to finish.
The goal is to create an affordable RNA vaccine for Bovine Viral Diarrrhoea (BDV) -a costly disease affecting NZ dairy and beef herds.
Tacticals
We've also made an investment in short-term tactical projects that generate critical data, build new or strategically important capabilities, and introduce new ideas and expertise into the Platform.
June 2026 - May 2027
- mCAR-T for autoimmune disease (Malaghan Institute of Medical Research)
- Chronic Hepatitis B vaccine using mRNA-LNP (Victoria University of Wellington)
- Cancer therapy targeted at neo-antigens (University of Auckland)
Our Mission
To build RNA technology capability for New Zealand through domestic and international collaboration to
- Create RNA products that will enable better outcomes for our people, animals and plants
- Contribute towards resiliency and enhanced pandemic preparedness in New Zealand and in the Pacific
- Grow a collaborative and internationally connected knowledge-intensive industry that provides benefit to New Zealand
- Ensure an enabling and innovative environment by growing proactive relationships with Government, industry and Treaty Partners
- Build research, industry and commercial expertise, including in Māori and Pacific peoples