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Cell biologists have a variety of tricks up their sleeves when it comes to loading up cells with exogenous molecules, such as plasmid DNA or small interfering RNA (siRNA). The most popular options include chemical transfection reagents that ferry molecules into the cells using lipids or polymers; devices that use electricity to make cell membranes transiently porous; and viral delivery systems.
Choosing a delivery method typically boils down to a combination of the cell type being targeted, the class of molecule being delivered, and the transfection efficiency needed to answer the particular research question. “The method that people gravitate to the most is the simplest method, which is chemical transfection,” says Josh Snow, technical services manager at Wisconsin-based Mirus Bio, which sells a variety of ...
