Abstract: Compositions and methods useful in the production of proteins in vitro and in vivo are provided. In particular, this invention provides bionanoparticles comprised of replication-proficient, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) capsids which are capable of transfecting, for example, target bacterial, yeast, plant and mammalian cells, and causing expression of genes of interest in said transfected cells. The bionanoparticles comprised of replication-proficient, dsRNA capsids are also capable of expressing genes of interest in vitro. The genes of interest can encode proteins that are useful, for example, as research reagents, therapeutics and vaccines. Also described are methods that enable the construction of bionanoparticles comprised of replication-proficient dsRNA capsids and methods for transfecting cells with said bionanoparticles and expressing said genes of interest in transfected cells and in vitro.