High Throughput In Situ Transfection of Primary and iPSC‐derived Cells

Abstract

Primary cells in culture are typically considered to be a highly relevant in vitro models. They can be cultivated and differentiated in vitro, but are typically difficult to transfect using conventional methods. In this work, we've developed a system, Cellaxess Elektra, and methods for high‐throughput in‐vitro transfections of primary and iPSC‐derived cells at any developmental stage with virtually no impact on cell viability or morphology. The platform utilizes a capillary electroporation concept that can be used for introduction of different types of molecules, ranging from small molecules, peptides, siRNAs, and plasmids, to adherent primary and stem cell derived cultures in 384‐well plates. The focused electrical field delivered by the platform minimizes toxicity and joule heating, The platform is truly enabling, and has the capability to transfect primary cells from a variety of sources, e.g. rat mouse & iPSC‐derived human neurons, primary human immune cells and many more cell types with excellent viability and a completely retained morphology. Data from cDNA and RNAi experiments are presented for different types of cultures and applications.