Cellular models – Custom cell lines

Cell lines engineering: outmost importance of quality

Genetic engineering of cell lines is widely used in research. Modified cell lines are tools of choice to discover new pathways, and for the discovery of therapeutics through high throughput screening methods. Development of these modified cell lines requires a strong know-how in the design and use of gene transfer tools to genetically engineer them, without generating side effects which could interfere with the purpose. Furthermore, in some cases, the cell line can be refractory to the modification or the modification itself can be difficult to induce. To answer that, you need to have a highly performant gene transfer system to generate the desired cell line.

3D blue cell

The lentiviral vector, a suitable tool to generate stable cell lines but…. with some limitations

vector particle

Plasmid transfection is the easiest and cheapest way to genetically modify your cell line and, for some basic projects, this method can be enough. However, for most cases, the efficiency of transfection is too low to obtain the desired cell line. Furthermore, transfection of plasmids is transient and has to be repeated to sustain long-term expression. Some systems based on transposons or recombinases can address this limitation, but these strategies can be difficult to design, and they still show low efficiency due to the plasmid transfection methods.

Lentiviral vectors are basically integrating vectors with a very high efficiency which widely surpasses transfection methods. They are able to integrate DNA sequences (cDNA, shRNA, miRNA) into transcriptionally active loci of the host genome. Consequently, it is possible to obtain a genetically modified cell line with a stable profile in one quick step. However, the design and production of lentiviral vector is complex. Furthermore, the integration feature of lentiviral vectors, which is an advantage in many cases, becomes a limit when it comes to the expression of gene transfer tools to generate knock-out or knock-in cell lines.

Save time, cost and resources… and push away the limits of standard vectors

Trust in GEG Tech capabilities and outsource the generation of your cell line of interest. You will save time, cost and resources.
GEG Tech leverages strong know-how in the field of lentiviral vectors to generate standard and complex modified cell lines. Thanks to our high expertise in design and production of lentiviral vectors, GEG Tech is able to generate the stable cell line which will perfectly fit your project, even with refractory cell lines. You can choose and adapt the key parameters such as:

  • Stable cell line with or without reporter / selection marker

  • Clonal or polyclonal stable cell line

  • The suitable level of expression: from very high to smooth, according to your needs

  • Complex systems: inducible or polycistronic expression
save time and budget

Furthermore, GEG Tech has the know-how in producing non-integrating lentiviral vectors. This class of vector cleverly combines the transient feature of plasmid transfection methods and the high efficiency of lentiviral vector technology. Consequently, this type of vector is especially suitable to transiently express factors such as genome editing tools to generate KO and KI cell lines in a clean and very efficient manner.