Reinventing RNA biofabrication : fermentation, innovative vectors and new-generation delivery
Location : Online webinars, via Microsoft Teams
Date : April 28, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (Montreal GMT-4)
Organizer: AReNA, Quebec’s RNA Hub
Three companies present disruptives biofabrication technologies
Presenters
- Pascal Viguié, co-founder and CEO, bYoRNA
- Christine Duthoit, co-founder, CEO and CSO, RNAlead
- Alexandre Hill, President and CEO, Serendip innovations
Company profiles
bYoRNA’s technology is based on an alternative approach to conventional in vitro messenger RNA synthesis. Instead of producing mRNA through enzymatic transcription in artificial cellular systems, bYoRNA uses genetically modified yeast to directly manufacture mRNA through biological fermentation. The idea is to transform the cell into a “living factory” capable of continuously producing large quantities of RNA.
This approach offers several key advantages:
- Higher quality and stability of the produced RNA, similar to human mRNA
- High scalability thanks to established industrial fermentation processes
- Lower production costs compared to the IVT approach
- Simplification of the industrial process (single-step, local)
The goal is to make mRNA production more accessible for applications such as vaccines, personalized therapies, and oncology, which require longer mRNAs that are difficult to produce via IVT synthesis.
Pascal Viguié, co-founder and CEO
Pascal Viguié is a French entrepreneur specializing in digital technologies and biotechnology. He is the co-founder and CEO of bYoRNA, a startup founded in 2022 that is developing a disruptive platform for the bioproduction of messenger RNA in yeast for drugs to treat cancer and rare diseases.
Pascal began his career in IT by founding the internet company 321AUTO, which was sold to PRICEMINISTER for over €30 million in stock. He subsequently supported several startups as an executive or key investor. These startups have generated cumulative revenue of over €50 million and created several hundred jobs. A graduate of École Polytechnique, he also holds an MSc in Nanomedicine from the University of Oxford and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
RNAlead, Disrupting RNA Delivery with a Proven Alternative
FlashRNA® is an advanced RNA delivery technology, enabling efficient and safe RNA transfer for gene therapy, genome editing, cell reprogramming, mRNA vaccines, and regenerative medicine. It offers unrivaled performance and safety for multiple RNA delivery, in vitro, in vivo and it’s ready for therapy, thanks to a validated GMP scale-up.
RNAlead can provide technological licensing, research-grade FlashRNA® particles, technical support and tech transfer to CDMO for GMP-grade products.
Pascal Viguié, co-founder, CEO and CSO
PhD scientist with extensive research experience in France (INSERM, CNRS) and the U.S. (St Jude Children’s Research Hospital), Christine has spent 17 years in the biotech industry. She has a strong interest in immunotherapy breakthroughs and spent 16 years at Flash Therapeutics managing gene transfer projects, from cell to in vivo models and finally clinic, as CSO.
As the CEO/CSO at RNAlead, she is dedicated to advancing transformative cell and gene therapies thanks to the FlashRNA technology.
Serendip Serendip develops a plant virus-derived non-viral vector using a plant-based expression system through a co-development and licensing model. This alternative to lipid nanoparticles and viral vectors addresses major challenges in manufacturing complexity, stability at 5°C, and targeted extra-hepatic RNA delivery.
Applications range from anti-cancer immunization and tumor-targeted cytotoxicity to specific in vivo cell reprogramming, with potential expansion beyond oncology. .
Alexandre Hill, PDG
Chemical engineer by training and PMP®-certified (Project Management Professional), Alexandre most recently served as a CMC Project Manager and Program Manager for new product development at Merck. He is c-founder and CEO of Serendip innovations, a French-based biotech company founded in 2023.
The webinar will be given on Microsoft Teams
