Messenger RNA (mRNA) enables high-level, transient gene expression without genomic integration, making it an ideal platform for genomic medicines and cell therapies. Traditional mRNA drugs face challenges such as instability and short expression duration. Optimization strategies—including cap analogs, UTR engineering, codon optimization, and modified nucleotides—extend expression, increase efficacy, and reduce costs.  

This poster, authored by AstraZeneca, highlights how ModTail^™ technology, TriLink's novel poly(A) tail modification, addresses these limitations by adding a small chemical moiety to the 3′ tail end of mRNA, improving resistance to exonuclease degradation and extending mRNA lifespan.  

The ModTail™ mRNA is used in Universal Effector Cells (UECs), where mRNA-based expression powers Phenotypic Screening Functional Genomics (FGX) to improve UEC manufacturing through transient expression of genes of interest and identify transgenes that enhance UEC performance.