Research &
Development

The place where today’s new idea becomes tomorrow’s reality

At PlasmidFactory’s R&D labs, research and development connect scientific innovation with the realities of industrial manufacturing. We apply our scientific and technical expertise to develop plasmid and Minicircle DNA manufacturing processes that are reliable, scalable, and ready for regulated production from research to GMP.

How we develop plasmid DNA processes

From concept to manufacturing-ready implementation

Our R&D team develops plasmid and Minicircle DNA manufacturing processes end-to-end, from early design considerations through to implementation in HQ and GMP production.

We cover the full value chain, including strain design, upstream processing (USP), downstream operations (DSP), and analytical control. Development activities are closely aligned with manufacturing requirements from the outset.

Structured scale-up and transfer
Process concepts are evaluated step by step at increasing scales and assessed for compatibility with single-use and GMP-ready technologies. This approach enables a reliable transfer from R&D into manufacturing

Analytics-driven process understanding
Advanced analytical methods are integrated throughout development to monitor plasmid DNA quality, topology, and sequence integrity. This supports consistent process control during scale-up and production.

This approach allows us to move efficiently from early concepts to manufacturing-ready processes within a single development framework.

Our development principles:

  • Manufacturability – development aligned with large-scale production requirements
  • Control – reliable processes supported by advanced analytics
  • Transferability – seamless transition from R&D into HQ and GMP manufacturing

Selected implementation highlights:

  • Rapid scale-up of large-scale plasmid & Minicircle DNA processes
  • Evaluation of single-use upstream technologies for GMP transfer
  • In-house methods for plasmid topology and impurity analysis
  • NGS-based verification of critical sequence elements (e.g. ITR)

Current focus areas

We are currently working with industrial and academic partners in the following research and development areas:

Plasmid and Minicircle applications

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We develop advanced plasmid and Minicircle DNA formats for next-generation therapeutic and manufacturing applications.

  • Non-viral gene vectors without antibiotic resistance genes (e.g. Minicircle technology)
  • Plasmids and Minicircles for mRNA production, vaccines, and antibody manufacturing
  • Systematic comparison of linear vs. circular DNA (e.g. transfection efficiency)

Viral vector production

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We investigate plasmid- and Minicircle-based strategies for viral vector manufacturing.

  • Transient AAV production systems
  • Optimization of lentiviral vector production platforms

Plasmid stability

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We study long-term plasmid DNA stability to ensure integrity throughout storage and use.

  • Impact of plasmid size and concentration
  • Effects of buffer composition and containment
  • Influence of freeze–thaw stability on plasmid topology distribution

Analytics & QC

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Our analytical development supports process control, product quality, and regulatory readiness.

  • Advanced capillary gel electrophoresis applications
  • NGS-based plasmid sequence and integrity analysis (ITRRESCUE®)
  • Proprietary methods to measure critical process contaminants

Process development

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We develop scalable, HQ- and GMP-ready plasmid and Minicircle manufacturing processes.

  • Large-scale plasmid and Minicircle process development
  • Tangential flow filtration (TFF) of DNA
  • Fed-batch cultivation strategies
  • Synthetic and linearized DNA technologies (e.g. MIDGE®)

How we collaborate

In addition to our in-house R&D activities, we work closely with academic institutions and industrial partners. These collaborations include joint development projects, method validation, and co-authored publications. They allow us to evaluate new technologies, validate emerging methodologies under realistic manufacturing conditions, and translate scientific advances into practical plasmid and Minicircle DNA solutions.

Many of these partnerships have resulted in peer-reviewed publications and long-term innovation initiatives.

Let’s discuss your project

If you are developing a plasmid- or Minicircle-based application and are looking for a reliable manufacturing partner, our R&D team is happy to discuss how your design and quality requirements can be translated into scalable, production-ready processes.

Get in contact with our R&D team