A news released by Avegen of Karnataka, India.

A recently developed transfected-cell array (TCA) technique is a breakthrough in that context as it opens the way for high throughput functional analysis of target genes. On TCA, cDNA/expression vectors and/or siRNA molecules (to induce transient gene silencing) are printed at a high density on a glass slide along with a lipid transfection reagent.

When these microarrays are covered with a layer of adherent cells only the cells growing on top of the spots become transfected, resulting in the expression or silencing of specific proteins in spatially distinctive groups of cells. The phenotypic effects of such 'reverse transfection' of hundreds of genes can be detected using specific cell-based bioassays.

We are adopting this assay for the identification of genes (ex. transcription factors) that are essential for the regulation of promoter-reporter activity or that modulate the phosphorylation state of target molecules (detected by phosphospecific antibodies). As compared to functional assays performed in microwell format the TCA approach requires less cells per number of genes tested but also requires far less DNA/RNA as well as transfection and signal development reagents. In case of high throughput technologies the cost of the single sample analysis must be reduced to absolute minimum.

In view of the rising demand on gene targeting with TCA, we began looking around the world for a cooperation arrangement in the field of cell transfection, and found that GenCarrier cell transfection reagent developed by Epoch Biolabs (Houston, TX) would be the ideal partner to help us with a HTS assay of tailor-made, robustly, reliably and to top quality standards. GenCarrier outperforms other liposome-based reagents in a side-by-side comparison on consistency, efficiency, low toxicity and cost-effectiveness....................