Nucleic Acid Insights
Special Interest Group
Discussion topics
28–30 April, 2026
The Nucleic Acid Insights Special Interest Group (SIG) convenes sector thought-leaders to define next steps on the pathway to efficient, scalable, and sustainable olives manufacturing. Find out more about the overall content and key individual discussion group/outputs below.
Assessing pros and cons of emerging synthesis technologies:
What will it take to drive their adoption and acceptance by regulators and industry?
Content:
• Weighing up the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various liquid-phase, hybrid (eg. enzymatic ligation), and full enzymatic synthesis platforms currently under development• What is the current and potential future scope of partially and fully enzymatic processes in the therapeutic context? When will these approaches be ready for primetime, in both regulator and industry eyes, and what needs to happen first?
Key Group Tasks/Outputs Include:
• Can we rank the various emerging liquid-phase/hybrid/enzymatic approaches in development in terms of key aspects (eg. Yield, cost, scalability, potential barriers to adoption?• Where is the inflection point for the oligo therapeutics sector as a whole to move away from solid-phase synthesis and embrace novel synthesis approaches as an industry?
• When will we reach it, and what are the key steps to take?
How to improve the yield, efficiency, and scalability of solid-phase synthesis?
Content:
How to enhance:
• the raw materials supply chain?
• reaction efficiency and yield?
• scalability?
Key Group Tasks/Outputs Include:
• Can we rank the key strategic and technological advances that will move the needle in terms of efficiency gains and cost reductions for oligo manufacturing using solid-phase synthesis?
How should the oligo therapeutics sector approach solvent recycling/reuse?
Content:
• What are the repercussions of continuous solvent recycling in terms of process development, equipment modification, and facility design?• How should we navigate/address the current lack of specific regulatory guidance around solvent recycling in oligos manufacturing?
Key Group Tasks/Outputs Include:
• What is the inflection point at which the widespread recovery and reuse of solvents becomes a practical necessity for the industry, and when do we currently expect to reach it?• What are the key steps we could take in order to bring this inflection point earlier?
How should we adapt manufacturing tools and strategies to cater for novel, complex modalities?
Content:
• What challenges can the delivery (eg. antibodies, nanoparticles) and linker components of an oligonucleotide conjugate bring to oligo synthesis (and vice versa)?
• What will be the optimal oligosynthesis platform for oligonucleotide conjugates?
• How are regulators viewing the challenges relating to oligo conjugate production and CMC?The forgotten piece of the jigsaw?
Driving innovation in downstream processing to enhance purification yield and efficiency
Content:
• Reviewing the history and current status of the oligos downstream process toolkit – what are its key limitations?• (How) do we need to change our fundamental thinking around downstream processing in light of emerging upstream methods, as well as future scalability, yield, cost, and scale requirements?
Key Group Tasks/Outputs Include:
• Which downstream purification methods and technologies will move the needle in terms of efficiency and yield gains and cost reduction for oligo manufacturing?
What does the future hold for analytical tools innovation in oligonucleotide manufacturing?
Content:
What are the optimal analytical tools for:• benchmarking novel synthesis approaches against solid-phase synthesis?
• providing insights into potential issues with novel and emerging approaches?
• What are the key next evolutionary points for analytical tools in the oligos manufacturing sphere?
UPCOMING EVENT
WEBINAR
Charting a greener future for oligo manufacturing - Nucleic Acids Insights SIG 2026
Join a hand-picked group of industry leaders at the inaugural Nucleic Acids Insights Special Interest Group.
The Nucleic Acid Insights Special Interest Group (SIG) brings together leading experts from across the oligonucleotides community to address one of the sector’s most urgent challenges: improving the sustainability and efficiency of oligo manufacturing. This invitation-only initiative provides a trusted, collaborative space for open discussion and actionable problem-solving - driving meaningful change through expert insight, strategic thinking, and shared commitment.
Which oligo synthesis approaches will be best suited to different scales and applications in future?
Content:
• Which methods are optimal for smaller-scale oligo manufacturing (eg. research or rare disease applications)? And how to tackle sustainability in small-scale production?• Which novel approach(es) do we expect to come to the fore for large-scale oligonucleotide therapeutic production?
Key Group Tasks/Outputs Include:
• What will be the inflection point for adopting novel synthesis approaches at smaller scales and how/when might we reach it?
Defining the commercial oligonucleotide therapeutic manufacturing strategies of the future
Content:
• Manufacturing facility location strategy – what will be the optimal model for oligonucleotide therapeutics aimed at large and small indications• How do these strategic drivers play into the debate around which synthesis platform to adopt?
APAC/India/Australia regional panels
Content:
• What is the current status in terms of the adoption and application of novel oligo manufacturing methods in the APAC region, India, and Oceania?• How is the development and harmonization of regulatory CMC guidance evolving in these regions?
FAQs
Who can participate in the SIG?
Participation is by invitation only and aimed at senior experts and thought leaders from across the oligonucleotides community. If you’re interested in contributing, you can register your interest to be considered.
When and where will the SIG take place?
The inaugural Nucleic Acids Insights SIG will take place virtually on April 28-30 2026, bringing together up to 50 selected participants from across the globe.
What happens after the meeting?
Initially, the discussion outcomes will be transformed into a White Paper, reports, and other open-access resources, ensuring the insights and strategies developed by the group have a lasting impact across the sector. Looking further ahead, additional activities and content may include webinars, articles, and in-person SIG member functions and report-outs to the attendees at major global conferences for the oligos sector.