02 July, HAMPTON, United Kingdon and DÜSSELDORF, Germany – LenioBio, a biotech company pioneering cell-free protein production, and Touchlight, the leader in enzymatic DNA production, are pleased to announce a supply agreement aimed at leveraging the revolutionary capabilities of Touchlight’s rapid enzymatic doggybone DNA (dbDNA^TM), to achieve unprecedented speed in vaccine  development and manufacture in the context of LenioBio’s CEPI grant.

LenioBio’s recently announced CEPI-funded project aims to showcase the capacity of their proprietary plant-based, cell-free ALiCE® (Almost Living Cell-Free Expression) technology to significantly accelerate vaccine development. This initiative aligns with CEPI’s 100 Days Mission, to develop vaccines against novel pathogens within 100 days of a threat emerging. ALiCE® already has a proven track record producing vaccine-relevant proteins within just 48 hours, offering a substantial speed advantage over existing methods. However, ensuring a fast and reliable DNA supply – a crucial component for protein production – poses a critical challenge, especially in epidemic or pandemic situations. In this context, Touchlight’s dbDNA offers a game-changing solution, promising a rapid, scalable, superior and resilient cell-free alternative to traditional bacterial manufacturing methods.

dbDNA is a minimal, linear, double stranded, covalently closed DNA vector in the shape of a ‘doggybone’ produced using enzymatic manufacturing methods. Eliminating the need for traditional bacterial fermentation methods, dbDNA can be produced at GMP quality at unprecedented speed, scale and purity. By coupling of Touchlight’s enzymatic dbDNA with LenioBio’s cell-free protein production process, a seamless end-to-end manufacturing process for pandemic preparedness will be established.

About LenioBio GmbH

LenioBio is a life-science biotechnology firm dedicated advancing transformative technology for the discovery, development, and large-scale production of proteins, liberating the process from conventional limitations of cells. Pioneered by LenioBio, ALiCE® is an innovative eukaryotic protein expression platform that empowers scientists globally to accelerate the discovery and development of life-saving medicines and vaccines.

About Touchlight

Touchlight is an innovation-driven leading CDMO pioneering enzymatic GMP DNA production to enable the genetic medicine revolution. As pioneers, with an FDA Drug Master File accepted in 2022 followed in 2025 with the world’s first cell-free DNA GMP license, Touchlight’s enzymatic DNA technology is on the cutting edge of AAV, mRNA, DNA vaccine, and gene editing technology with its state-of-the-art facility recognised by ISPE’s Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) for Innovation.

With multiple client products already in the clinic, Touchlight’s evidence-based, synthetic DNA manufacturing solutions offer a scalable, sustainable alternative to plasmid DNA (pDNA) for all stages of pre-clinical, clinical and commercial development. The company and technology are built on the conviction that DNA is fundamental to the future of medicine. Traditional methods, based on bacterial fermentation, are slow, costly, and unable to meet the growing demands of genetic medicine due to limited scalability and speed. Founded in 2007, Touchlight’s team is inspired by breakthroughs in genetic medicine, recognising the urgent need for innovative DNA production techniques to support the future of genetic therapies.

For more information please contact:

Karen Fallen, Chief Executive Officer
Verna McErlane, Chief Commercial Officer
E: info@touchlight.com
T: +44 20 8481 9200