PROVIDENCE, RI: Anubhav Tripathi, PhD, a researcher at the Giuliani RNA Center at Brown University’s Division of Biology and Medicine, has been named a key collaborator on a landmark federal award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The $39.2 million award supports Project FUSE (Fast Unified Synthesis and Evaluation) and is led by Mass General Brigham investigators in collaboration with industry and academic centers. The project is part of ARPA-H’s Genetic Medicines and Individualized Manufacturing for Everyone (GIVE) program, an initiative aimed at transforming how RNA-based medicines are produced.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham Gene & Cell Therapy Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital will develop a new platform for on-demand genetic medicine manufacturing. Tripathi joins the multidisciplinary team alongside industry collaborators NanoMosaic LLC, DINYA DNA, and Lilac Biosciences, bringing expertise in microfluidics to help create an integrated system deployable in hospital and near-patient settings.
“We envision a future in which genetic medicines can be manufactured where and when they are needed, rather than requiring complex production and shipping networks,” said FUSE’s principal investigator Alex Wesselhoeft, PhD, director of the RNA Therapeutics Core in the Mass General Brigham Gene and Cell Therapy Institute.
FUSE investigators will develop a compact, automated system capable of producing and analyzing RNA medicines within a single integrated platform, combining manufacturing and quality-control processes that are typically performed across multiple facilities with the goal of reducing production timelines and simplifying the path from design to treatment.
With $4.7 million in funds from FUSE, Tripathi, a professor of biomedical engineering at Brown’s School of Engineering and a member of the Giuliani RNA Center, will provide critical microfluidic and analytical expertise to the platform, spanning sensor interface design, process analytical technologies, and quality control systems across multiple manufacturing modules.
“Being part of the Giuliani RNA Center has deepened my appreciation for how much biology and engineering have to speak to each other,” Tripathi said. “In this project, the microfluidic systems, the analytical sensors, and the quality control platforms we’re building aren’t accessories to the RNA science—they’re what makes it manufacturable.”
The award reflects the Giuliani RNA Center’s commitment to advancing RNA science from fundamental research to real-world therapeutic impact and to partnering with leading academic medical centers and industry to bring next-generation medicines to patients everywhere.
“I’m proud that Brown's RNA community and biomedical engineering expertise are contributing to a platform that could genuinely change how and where patients receive these therapies,” Tripathi said.
About the Giuliani RNA Center
The Giuliani RNA Center at Brown University was named in 2025 in recognition of a generous gift from health care investor and Brown trustee Giammaria Giuliani and his wife, Sabrina. Under the direction of Juan Alfonzo, PhD, Mencoff Family Executive Director of the Giuliani RNA Center, the center’s mission is to advance RNA science through fundamental discovery, technology development, and translational impact that accelerates life-changing health solutions. For more information, visit rna.brown.edu.
About the Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine
The Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University comprises the Program in Biology and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Its mission is to advance knowledge and improve the health and well-being of people and planet. For more information, visit biomed.brown.edu.