Synthetic DNA technology pioneer Touchlight's Morelands facility has been named the 2025 Innovation Winner in the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA).
Touchlight’s Morelands facility has been transformed into a proudction hub for synthetic DNA technology — specifically the company’s proprietary dbDNA.
This revolutionary platform addresses key challenges in traditional plasmid DNA (pDNA) manufacturing, eliminating fermentation processes and antibiotic resistance sequences while achieving greater purity and sequence flexibility.
The facility’s expansion has tripled production capacity, making it one of the largest DNA manufacturing sites globally.
"At Touchlight, we are redefining DNA manufacturing to support the next generation of genetic medicines," said Karen Fallen, CEO at Touchlight.
"Winning the 2025 ISPE Facility of the Year Award in the Innovation category is a testament to our commitment to pioneering advancements in DNA synthesis."
"Our Morelands facility exemplifies our dedication to innovation, flexibility, and sustainability, ensuring we can meet the growing global demand for high-purity DNA while maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational excellence."
Advanced technology drives manufacturing efficiency
Touchlight’s commitment to digital transformation has been a key driver of its success. The company implemented SAP S/4HANA Cloud to enhance operational efficiency, improve traceability, and support future expansion.
This initiative earned Touchlight the Business Innovator Award in the SAP UKI Customer Success Awards 2024.
Additionally, Touchlight is focused upon prioritising sustainability, integrating green manufacturing techniques that reduce water and energy consumption. The facility utilises renewable energy and maintains an exemplary safety record with zero reportable incidents over a 24-month period.
As an ISPE FOYA Category Winner, Touchlight now looks forward to the announcement of the overall Facility of the Year winner in October at the ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo in the United States.
"We are incredibly honoured to receive the ISPE Facility of the Year Award for Innovation," said Jonny Ohlson, Executive Chair and Founder of Touchlight. "
This recognition reflects the hard work and ingenuity of our team, who have pushed the boundaries of DNA manufacturing to accelerate the development of genetic medicines. The Morelands facility is a testament to our commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability in biopharmaceutical production."