What transfection reagent should I choose?
Transfection reagents from Promega
Abstract
ViaFect - FuGENE® 6 - FuGENE® HD. All three reagents offer broad spectrum transfection capability and low toxicity, but the question often comes up: "Which one should I choose?" Not every transfection reagent is perfect for every cell line, and transfection success can also depend on other parameters such as DNA quality, passage number of cells, and cell density.
To get a better understanding of how each reagent performs on a variety of cell lines, we performed transfection experments with ViaFect™, FuGENE® 6, FuGENE® HD and Lipofectamine® 2000 (Thermo Fisher). Each reagent was tested with a range of transfection reagent: DNA ratios and two concentrations of DNA.
All four transfection reagents work on a variety of cells. Each reagent clearly works best on certain cell lines but none were perfect for every cell line. The data presented in this article show that ViaFect™ Reagent yielded greater luciferase expression over a wider variety of cells than the other reagents tested.
FuGENE® 6 Reliable Transfection for Common Cell Lines
- Preserve cell viability
- Excellent compatibility with everyday cell lines
- Straightforward protocol; minimal optimization
Transfection Reagent provides sturdy results in a wide variety of standard laboratory cell lines, making it ideal for everyday use. The simple protocol eliminates tedious culture medium changes and eliminates a source of variation. The gentle performance of the FuGENE® 6 Transfection Reagent makes it an ideal companion to luciferase reporter gene assays or other sensitive cellular analysis applications.
FuGENE® HD Better Transfection for Challenging Cell Lines
- Difficult-to-transfect cell lines
- Transfection of primary cells
- Protein and virus production
FuGENE® HD Transfection Reagent offers unrivaled transfection performance with minimal impact on cell physiology (Jacobson et al. [2009] Biotechniques 47, 617–24). It is ideal for use in a variety of challenging applications, including transfection of cancer model cell lines, insect cells, stem cells, and for virus and protein production. FuGENE® HD gives more biologically relevant results by allowing you to use the best cell line for your study, and doesn’t require harsh treatment of the cells by lowering serum concentration or washing of toxic lipid complexes. The in vivo environment even can be mimicked with transfection in 100% serum.
ViaFect™ Best Transfection Performance Across Many Cell Lines
- Performs better than or equal to other best-in-class transfection reagents
- Simple transfection protocol with minimal optimization required
- Low toxicity for routine and challenging cell lin
Cell biology is critical to transfection-based experiments. Not only do the cells need to maintain their viability and metabolism through the transfection process, they also must accurately represent the biology being modeled in the experiment. ViaFect™ Transfection Reagent allows high-efficiency transfection of a wide range of cell types without compromising cell viability, and provides an easy-to-use protocol that gives superior performance with minimal optimization. Now you can design the right assay in the right cells to model the biology you are studying.