mRNArchitect: optimized design of mRNA sequences

Summary: mRNA design is the critical first step in the development of a new vaccine or therapy. The mRNA primary sequence is assembled from multiple elements, including the coding sequence of the target protein or gene, flanking untranslated regions that enhance translation, and the poly(A) tail, which improves mRNA stability. The coding sequence can also be optimized to improve translation and stability, and the depletion of uridines and double-stranded RNA secondary structures can reduce reactogenicity. Here, we introduce mRNArchitect, a software toolkit to assist in the design of mRNA sequences according to user requirements. mRNArchitect can rapidly assemble and optimize mRNA sequences based on criteria including GC content, secondary structure, codon optimization, and Uridine depletion. The sequences generated by mRNArchitect can also be readily synthesized into DNA templates, and have been extensively validated across a wide variety of applications. We offer mRNArchitect as an open-source software toolkit to help scientists design new mRNA medicines.