Abstract: The present invention describes the production of a nodavirus-based DNA vector that drives abundant expression of foreign genes in a wide variety of cell types. The DNA plasmid is initially transcribed by a host-cell RNA polymerase to produce primary transcripts from which a nodaviral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNA replicase) is translated. These primary transcripts are then amplified by the RNA replicase in an autonomous, cytoplasmic RNA replication. Such a vector is a useful addition to the current arsenal of expression vectors, and well suited to laboratory-scale and larger-scale expression of transcripts and/or proteins in eukaryotic cells.