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Tools | Technologies | Trends VOLUME 33, NUMBER 15 Biobusiness Top Biotech & Pharma Companies 14 Drug Discovery Bioluminescent AMP Detection 24 SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 Nucleofection™ of neurons in 24-well culture plates: Mouse cortical neurons were transfected after 6 DIV with pmaxGFP™ vector using the 4D-Nucleofector™ Y Unit. One day post Nucleofection, cells were stained by MAP2 antibody (red) and analyzed by fuorescence microscopy for maxGFP protein expression. Lonza Pharma Transfection Methods Evolving Mary Ann Labant OMICS Data Analysis: Today's Next-Gen Sequencing Imperative 26 Bioprocessing Exploiting Cells' Electrical Behavior 38 Academic research trends continue to drive transfection technology advancements. Researchers hope to use more biologically relevant yet hard-to-transfect cell models in addition to the standard immortalized cell lines, along with a broader range of nucleic acids, such as RNA variants. These possibilities lead to interesting twists that demand innovation. Effciency and viability rates, process reproducibility, robustness and reliability, as well as scalability—all these considerations make transfection challenging. A single "best solution" currently does not exist; methodologies satisfy certain experimental parameters, and all come with advantages and disadvantages. A critical piece of the puzzle for producing new therapies for hard-to-treat diseases, transfection broadly segments into chemically mediated, non-chemically mediated, instrument-based, and viral-vector-based methods, according to Mark Bloomfeld, CEO at Polyplus-transfection. Researchers' interest in expanding the transfectable repertoire of cell lines and the range of nucleic acids used creates an ongoing need for optimized reagents for specifc uses. In parallel, chemically mediated methods have evolved into a sophisticated range of compounds, encompassing lipid- and cationic-based polymer systems, with multiple variants in between. In addition to research, chemically mediated transfection is used see page 32 Purging Protein Profling Problems Kate Marusina, Ph.D. Translational Medicine Manipulating Methodologies for Reprogramming Cells 44 Quantitative peptide analysis by mass spectrometry (MS) has become indispensable for interrogation of proteins in complex biological samples. This complexity requires multiple approaches, so a thorough understanding of these options helps to select the most appropriate protocol for the given question. The high diagnostic potential of peptides and proteins from cells, tissues, and biological fuids is unquestionable. But have the MS-based strategies matured enough to unlock this potential and to allow the translation from specialized applications into diagnostics and therapeutics? Biotechnology from bench to business Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the most lethal type of cancer in the United States, often begins in the duct connecting the pancreas to the duodenum. The silent progression conceals the diagnosis at the early stages. Thus, little is known about see page early biomarkers of pancreatic cancer. 18 www.GENengnews.com ..