Using an RNA binding protein to detect mRNA on lipid nanoparticles

The development of lipid nanoparticles (LNP) to deliver nucleic acid has emerged as a promising technology for vaccines and gene therapy. The efficiency of delivery relies on the ability of lipid chemistry to encapsulate the nucleic acid within its shell rather than exposing the nucleic acid on the surface of the LNP. To develop an encapsulation assay to detect the amount of mRNA on the surface or internalised in a LNP, we utilised a viral RNA binding protein, a monoclonal antibody to this RNA binding protein and a magnetic bead arrangement to determine the encapsulation efficiency of the RNA in a standard RNA LNP formulation. By manipulating the components, we could determine the efficiency of RNA incorporation within the LNP. We suggest that this approach will be useful in optimising the delivery of nucleic acids by LNPs and their applications.