Last week, Fluorobiotech had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), Dr. Monica Moschioni (PhD, MPH) and Umut Demirtas to our laboratory at Stellenbosch University’s LaunchLab. Their visit formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships that support Africa’s growing biotechnology and mRNA manufacturing ecosystems.
We were joined by collaborators from the Stellenbosch Biofoundry, including Prof. Heinrich Volschenk and Dr. David Morrison, who shared valuable updates on current research streams and capability expansion within the broader synthetic biology platform at Stellenbosch University. We were also pleased to welcome Earl Jason Prinsloo from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), further reinforcing the multi-institutional cooperation driving innovation in this space.
Showcasing Collaborative Progress Under SAMVAC and the Enzyme Manufacturing in Africa Program
The meeting provided an opportunity for all partners to exchange progress updates on key national initiatives, including the South African mRNA Vaccine Consortium (SAMVAC) and ongoing work under the Enzyme Manufacturing in Africa program – a strategic effort to establish reliable, local production of critical recombinant enzymes for mRNA vaccine and therapeutic manufacturing.
Discussions explored:
- Current technical milestones and capacity-building achievements
- Bottlenecks in the regional mRNA manufacturing pipeline and opportunities for decentralised solutions
- Approaches to strengthening technology transfer pathways across African institutions
- Long-term strategies for building skilled biotech workforce development in South Africa
These conversations highlighted the strong alignment between partners working to ensure that Africa becomes not only a consumer of advanced biotechnology, but also a competitive global producer.
Facility Tour and Forward-Looking Engagements
The visit concluded with a tour of Fluorobiotech’s laboratory and the Stellenbosch Biofoundry facilities, offering visitors a first-hand view of the innovation, infrastructure, and scientific talent driving our collective work. The tour sparked further discussions around potential areas of future collaboration, including enzyme scale-up, quality systems, and initiatives supporting end-to-end mRNA production capabilities across the continent.
Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Biotechnology Development
Fluorobiotech extends its sincere appreciation to our colleagues at the Medicines Patent Pool, Stellenbosch University, and the SAMRC for their continued commitment to collaborative research and capacity building. These partnerships are essential to realising a sustainable, resilient biotechnology sector in Africa – one capable of supporting regional health security while contributing meaningfully to global innovation.
We look forward to deepening this collaboration as we collectively advance the scientific, technical, and manufacturing capabilities needed to position Africa as a leader in next-generation vaccine and therapeutic development.