Towards high-throughput gene silencing
Akceli to explore new ways of conducting high-throughput gene
function analysis, target validation and drug discovery.
Dharmacon, a supplier of RNA and RNA interference (RNAi) research products, has entered into a collaboration with fellow US firm Akceli to explore new ways of conducting high-throughput gene function analysis, target validation and drug discovery.
Akceli is a cellular systems biology company specialising in whole-well reverse transfection, a high-speed process for delivering nucleic acids to mammalian cells.
This process uses a coated microwell and involves adding cells to the DNA or RNA sequence, rather than adding a solution containing small interfering RNA (siRNA) or DNA and a transfection reagent onto cells growing in a petri dish.
This reduces the time, labour and amount of expensive reagents required for experiments and greatly increases the number of targets that can be examined, according to Akceli.
Dharmacon will contribute technologies to produce synthetic siRNA reagents that silence genes with a high degree of potency and specificity. Together, these powerful technologies promise to accelerate the analysis of gene function, cellular pathways and networks, according to the companies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Dharmacon will supply specified siRNA reagents and Akceli will provide reverse transfection materials and carry out the experiments. The results of the studies will be used to validate both the efficacy of whole-well siRNA reverse transfection and its utility for transfection optimisation.
The two companies are both presenting data today at IBC's second international RNAi Conference in Boston, USA.
