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News in Brief

Genetronics Biomedical Corporation (San Diego, CA, USA) has introduced six new ‘Advanced Transfection Products’. The BTX Division of the company, which provides instrumentation for pharmaceutical, biotech and academic research markets, will manufacture the new products. Featured in the product line is a novel patented disposable plate with integrated gold plated electrodes that allows transfection via electroporation to be accomplished in 96-well format (patents pending). This is the first of its kind on the market and is compatible with other industry equipment. A new high-throughput generator and plate handler will complement the new plates. “These products will work with our installed base, our competitors’ products, as well as the new generator we have introduced,” explained Avtar Dhillon, President and CEO, Genetronics. “The market has been looking for this innovative next step.” Several methods, such as chemical, viral, heat shock and electroporation are used for transfection, the transfer of DNA into target cells. Electroporation is the application of high electric field pulses of short duration to create temporary pores (holes) in the cell membranes. Electroporation is among the most gentle, yet efficient methods available for the transfer of DNA, RNA and proteins into living cells. It only takes a few seconds to perform. Historically, electroporation has been limited to work done in single steps, using cuvettes. Other biological processes have migrated to multiwell disposable plates (96, 384) for higher capacity, higher throughput of experiments or for the production of specialized cells. The new products from BTX provide industry standard capabilities for a technology that has broader range and more predictability than other alternatives. The product family includes a new precision electroporation generator, plate handling equipment and a powerful software package. The software uses predictive capabilities so that optimal parameters can be efficiently developed and transferred into a production environment where high-throughput transfection can be reliably and repeatedly performed. When used together, these new products combine the power of automated transfection optimization with high-speed electroporation electronics and the convenience of industry standard disposables. “Essentially, the products save companies both time and money. It is now possible to easily scale-up from single step tedious and labor-intensive processes into hundreds or thousands of controlled transfections. We are improving productivity at the laboratory workstation as well as taking this valuable technology into high-throughput requirements,” said Dhillon.