Last Thursday (4/8), the technical team of the Vaccine Development project using Messenger RNA Technology developed by Fiocruz received representatives from Fiotec and the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) on a visit to the Bio-Manguinhos facilities on the main Fiocruz campus in Rio de Janeiro. The coordinator, Daniela de Almeida, gave a detailed presentation of the stages that have been carried out so far, their developments and the challenges that are being faced in the development of the research.
Led by Carla Reis (head of the BNDES Industrial and Health Services Complex Department) and Marcia Louzada (BNDES Manager), the team from the financing entity was able to answer questions about the development of the RNA platform and also provide guidance on the perspective of new disbursements motivated by future stages planned for the project.
The visit continued at the RNA Platform Development Laboratory, where the research protocol and the pilot plant for producing the platform itself are defined. The visitors had to follow the biosafety protocols applied to the facilities to the letter, a process closely monitored by Ana Paula Diniz and Maria do Carmo Gonçalves, who are responsible for complying with the technical requirements in the laboratory environment.
According to Daniele Pereira and Gabriela Santanna, from Fiotec's National Projects team, during the visit it was possible to see how each phase of the supported project takes place in practice and how the research protocols are established, as well as to see the inputs and equipment funded for the research. According to them, it was a great opportunity for the BNDES team to better understand and see the development of the platform up close.