Transfection Reagent Selection Guide

With the development of transfection technology and the growing ease of transfection methods, it is very necessary to select a suitable transfection reagent to achieve the optimum transfection efficiency. Transfected cell types and delivered payload should be considered when selecting suitable transfection reagents.

Primary cells are generally more difficult to transfect than cell lines, so transfection reagents are required to facilitate the transfection of payloads into hard-to-transfect cells. The efficiency of our transfection reagents was assessed by using plasmid DNA (pDNA), short interfering RNA (siRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), and ribonucleoprotein (RNP). These tables below summarize optimal transfection reagents for nucleic acids or proteins in different cell types.

Transfection Reagent Selection

• Primary Cells

Primary cells are isolated or harvested directly from living tissue or organs. The morphological and physiological characteristics of primary cells are similar to those of the tissue of origin. However, primary cells have a finite lifespan and limited expansion capacity and are usually more difficult to transfect than cell lines. Transfection of primary mammalian cells is an essential tool for scientific and therapeutical applications, such as functional genomics, drug development, and gene-based medicine.

• Cell Lines

Cell lines derived from primary cultures can be propagated repeatedly and sometimes indefinitely. When they are passed on, the cells with the highest growth capacity dominate, resulting in a degree of genotype and phenotypic consistency in the population.

Although cell lines are artificial model systems that do not necessarily reflect the biochemical status of the primary cells, they are primarily used in transfection studies because they are readily available and are generally easier to transfect.

Benefits of the Reagents

An ideal reagent should have low cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency for the required cell types. The reagent levels and the cytotoxicity parameters should be considered before selecting an appropriate transfection reagent. Amerigo Scientific offers products that have significant transfection advantages over the main products on the market.

Application Notes

• Use of Transfection Reagents in Co-Delivery of Plasmid DNA and Short Interfering RNA
• Using Reagents to Modify MDA-MB-231 Cells with CRISPR-Cas9 RNPs
• Use of Transfection Reagents for mRNA Delivery to PBMCs
• Comparison of Transfection Reagents for pDNA and mRNA Delivery
• Considerations for Optimizing Non-Viral Transfections in Culture
• 48-Well Plate siRNA Knockdown Optimization Protocol for Suspension Cells
• 48-Well Plate pDNA Transfection Optimization Protocol for Adherent Cells