Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed a regenerated cellulose membrane with peptide ligands that outperformed commercial chromatography columns for mRNA purification. The team reported faster throughput, higher productivity and improved impurity removal — a potential manufacturing advantage for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. Principal investigators discussed the membrane’s charge tuning and peptide capture strategy at a bioprocessing summit, and the group has filed for patent protection and is seeking industry partners to scale and commercialize the technology. The approach targets a key bottleneck in mRNA production: efficient, high‑yield purification.