The EPFL licenses a novel approach for animal cell transfection

Benefits :
¨ Reduces costs associated with DNA purification
¨ Proved to be as efficient as pure DNA for transfection of HEK cells

Patent status :
Patent pending in US Nr. 60/236660

Keywords :

Impure DNA, transfection, transient protein expression

Contact Inventor :

Mr Jason Wright, Prof. Dr. Florian Wurm
EPFL-DC-LBTC
CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
e-mail:
Jason.Wright@epfl.ch
http://dcwww.epfl.ch/lbtc

Tel: +41 21 693 55 62
Fax: +41 21 693 61 40

Contact Technology Transfer Office :
Benoît Dubuis, PhD, EPFL-SRI
CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

benoit.dubuis@epfl.ch
http://sprwww.epfl.ch/sri

Tel : +41 21 693 35 90
Fax : +41 21 693 70 40

File Nr. 6.0234 (EPFL SRI)

TRANSFECTION OF IMPURE DNA IN ANIMAL CELLS

The invention concerns the use of 'non pure' DNA preparations for the transfection of animal cells, more specifically mammalian cell lines. Good transfection efficiency measured as high transient protein expression in the HEK293EBNA cell line has been demonstrated from DNA preparations containing considerable impurities, such as RNA, LPS or genomic DNA. Transfection is limited by the cost and time required to prepare 'pure DNA', these may be critical economic factors affecting transfection. This is particularly relevant at scale, where significant quantities of plasmid DNA are required. Whilst drastically reducing the cost of DNA purification, good transfection efficiency may be retained. The invention is marketed towards the rapid and economical transfection of cells for fast transient recombinant protein production. Other applications, utilising the introduction of DNA into animal cell lines, may also profit from the principal of the invention

Potential Commercial Uses
¨
Transient transfection
¨ Stable transfection
¨ Miscellaneous