Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reported a regenerated cellulose (RC) membrane with peptide ligands that outperformed commercial chromatography columns for purifying mRNA therapeutics. The membrane reportedly improved productivity, speed, and impurity removal by selectively binding mRNA segments and enabling tunable elution through surface charge adjustments. Investigators said the membrane is better suited for large mRNA molecules—whose size makes bead‑based columns inefficient—and that the approach could reduce purification time and costs for mRNA vaccine and therapeutic manufacture. The team has filed for patent protection and is seeking industry partners to scale and commercialize the process. If adopted, this technique could lower a key manufacturing bottleneck for mRNA platforms and accelerate broader deployment of RNA‑based medicines.