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Microinjection
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April 10, 2020
Do you need a precision microinjector with an integrated pressure source for injections in the picoliter range? WPI’s new MICRO-ePUMP, which is comparable to the Ependorf Femtojet, is a portable solution for injecting DNA, RNA and proteins, as well as pre- and post- implantation in embryos. Whether you are doing disease modeling with zebrafish or viral research for SARS-CoV2, the MICRO-ePUMP has much to offer. Here are eight good reasons to choose the MICRO-ePUMP for your applications.- Convenient internal pressure source
The convenient internal pressure source is designed to simplify intracellular injection. With the carefully regulated internal pressure source, there is no need of an external air supply. - Intuitive...more
- Convenient internal pressure source
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March 02, 2020
With the first approved human gene therapy trial in 19891 (Rosenberg, et.al.), gene therapy has come a long way in modern medicine and is making inroads in clinics and the market in general.2,3 2017 was an important year for gene therapy when Luxurna, the first human gene therapy drug for an inherited retinal dystrophy, was approved by Food and Drug Administration (USA).4 Now several drugs are undergoing clinical trials. With an estimated $11 billion (USD) market in the next 10 years, both clinical trials and the pharmaceutical industry are expected to benefit immensely from gene therapy.5
With improved use of viral vectors (Adeno-associated virus (AAV), adenovirus, lentivirus, retrovirus, HSV) or non-viral vectors, research and clinical trials on the development of therapeutic genes have witnessed great success. Viral vectors have been employed for the treatment of various diseases such as metabolic...more
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January 24, 2020
Microinjection is the process of transferring genetic materials into a living cell using glass micropipettes or metal microinjection needles. Glass micropipettes can be of various sizes with tip diameters ranging from 0.1 to 10 µm. DNA or RNA is injected directly into the cell’s nucleus. Microinjection has been successfully used with large frog eggs, mammalian cells, mammalian embryos, plants and tissues. Microinjection has been expensive, can be a slow process and requires skilled personnel, but new technologies are making it even more reliable, repeatable and affordable.
Pronuclear injection, inserting DNA or RNA into the nucleus of a fertilized oocyte to create transgenic organisms, lets researchers study the role of particular genes. This horizontal gene transfer can insert genetic material from the same species or a different one. When using genetic material from different species, a chimera is created. If the genetic material is NOT integrated into the genome of the offspring, it is considered transient transformation and is not passed to subsequent generations. However, if the new genetic material is transferred to future generations, then we have a stable transformation. In this case, the gene inserted by microinjection is called as the transgene, and the organism that develops after a successful gene transfer is called as transgenic.
So, transgenic animals are the results of experimentation that integrates genetic material (DNA) into their germ line. These transgenic animals are invaluable in the quest to identify the functions of specific factors in homeostatic systems through the over-expression or under-expression of a modified gene. In many cases transgenic animals are dependent on the laboratory environment for survival.
Microinjection is a highly reproducible and repeatable method of introducing genetic material into a nucleus. (Qingsong Xu. Micromachines for Biological Micromanipulation. Springer Publication, 2018.) Compared with other methods of genetic manipulation, microinjection optimized the materials used and eliminates a lot of waste. (Chow YT, Chen S, Wang R, et al. Single Cell Transfection through Precise Microinjection with Quantitatively Controlled Injection Volumes. Sci Rep. 2016;6:24127. Published 2016 Apr 12. doi:10.1038/srep24127.) Because the materials used are minimized, there is also a reduction in the cost of the materials needed. With the tight control of the microinjection process, the researcher can obtain the precise integration of the recombinant gene in a limited number of copies.
Products for Efficient Microinjection
WPI offers a broad range of laboratory equipment used for microinjection applications. Our injection systems have been serving scientist for over 30 years. Additionally, WPI offers a variety of accessories for microinjection including pumps, pullers, pipetters, microscopes and more. One of the most popular pumps for zebrafish and adherent cell microinjection is the PV820 Pneumatic PicoPump and its newer cousins the MICRO-ePUMP, the μPUMP and the PV850.
Injection Pumps
Originally, the PV820 and PV830, Pneumatic PicoPumps, were designed to simplify intracellular injection. The microinjection offering was redesigned in 2020 from the ground up to offer ease of use, ensure repeatable operations and cover a broader range of applications. You get touch screen control, footswitch operation and a unit that takes up precious little bench space. Researchers get repeatable microinjections in volumes ranging from picoliters to nanoliters. Our microinjectors offer eject and hold pressure. To guard against injectant dilution, the hold pressure prevents backfilling of the pipette via capillary action, keeping the injectant meniscus at the pipette tip. WPI also has popular pumps for injecting in the picoliter and nanoliter ranges.
Pinpoint Cell Penetrator
The WPI MICRO-ePORE™ pinpoint cell penetrator is a simple and versatile system that can be used for efficient microinjection of a diverse array of compounds and biomolecules into oocytes and pre-implantation stage mammalian embryos. Patent pending Flutter Electrode Technology assists in small, clean, precise membrane penetration without tearing or damaging the membrane when one is working on the microinjection of transgenic animals or cell manipulation. WPI's MICRO-ePORE™ Pinpoint Cell Penetrator offers several advantages over traditional electroporation for the purpose of microinjection.
- The pinpoint cell penetrator uses a much lower voltage to open a port into the cell membrane.
- Electroporation is a shotgun approach that opens many pores in the cell membrane. In contrast, the pinpoint cell penetrator targets a specific area of the cell membrane at the very point of microinjection.
- Survivability of embryos is significantly higher when using pinpoint cell penetration versus electroporation.
Microscope
WPI's PZMIII-MI Microscope with Illuminated Base and Articulating Mirror is perfect for microinjection and transfection. It includes a standard stereo microscope head mounted on a research grade Brightfield/Darkfield pole type stand. It has a large stable work surface and a rotatable lens/mirror system which provides transmitted LED intensity illumination. The sliding mirror is gimbaled, allowing for a full range of movement front to back, as well as rotation. The mirror rotates 360º on one axis and can slide for further lighting effect directionally, front to back. A knob on the right of the base adjusts the mirror and a locking ring holds the desired mirror position. Vary the microscope illumination from Brightfield LED to Darkfield LED at an appropriate angle using the articulating mirror. It is an effective tool for viewing live bacteria. At low magnifications, view tissues, cells or embryo transfer where oblique, transmitted illumination is critical.
Microinjection is a revolutionary tool in the age of modern science. These methods allow any lab to incorporate the technique of microinjection into their experimental repertoire.
Whether DNA, RNA or protein is the molecule of interest, microinjection provides a means of studying function within the context of the living cell. The technology is remarkably accessible and relatively inexpensive, while the possibilities are virtually endless. -
August 21, 2019
Are you looking for a microliter or sub-microliter and high precision syringe that holds needles as small as 36 gauge (G), in addition to having the capability to connect to quartz tubing?
WPI’s NanoFil is the answer. We offer NanoFil syringes with NanoFil needles or the option to connect the NanoFil syringe to quartz tubing to use in research studies, mainly involving sub-microliter volume injections into animal tissues...more
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August 02, 2019
The new WPI MICRO-ePORE™ pinpoint cell penetrator is a simple and versatile system that can be used to facilitate microinjection of a diverse array of compounds and biomolecules into oocytes and pre-implantation stage mammalian embryos. Patent pending Flutter Electrode Technology assists in small, clean, precise membrane penetration without tearing or damaging the membrane. It results in substantially increased viability of embryos. In this quick video, Dr. Pelczar from the Center for Transgenic Models in Switzerland demonstrates the ease of cell penetration using the new MICRO-ePORE™.
Video footage courtesy of Dr. Pawel Pelczar, Head of CTM, University Basel, Switzerland...more
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June 19, 2019
The new WPI MICRO-ePORE™ Pinpoint Cell Penetrator is a simple and versatile system that can be used for efficient microinjection of a diverse array of compounds and biomolecules into oocytes and pre-implantation stage mammalian embryos. Patent pending Flutter Electrode Technology assists in small, clean, precise membrane penetration without tearing or damaging the membrane. Here Gabe sets up the system and connects all the components.
Unpacking Your MICRO-ePORE™ System
Connecting Your MICRO-ePORE™ System
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July 16, 2018
This 900A video series of 6 videos is designed to help familiarize you with the basic operation of the 900A Micropressure System. The 900A was designed for measuring pressures in kidney tubules, and it has many applications. It has recently been used for measuring...more -
February 13, 2018
In this video you'll see how to replace the gasket in a Nanoliter2010.
If you have questions, contact us at 866.606.1974 (US Toll Free) or at [email protected]. To request a formal quote, please email us at [email protected].
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June 25, 2015Application kits are specially designed for eye research for injecting retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and for intraocular (IO) injections. In addition, these kits may be used for brain injection in mice. They need to be used...moreJune 12, 2015
First, let's consider volumes. - A milliliter (mL) is one thousandth the volume of a liter (L) or 10-3L
- A microliter (µL) is one thousandth the volume of a mL (10-6L)
- A nanoliter (nL) is one thousandth the volume of a µL (10-9L)
- A picoliter (pL) is one thousandth the volume of a nL (10-12L)
This is graphically represented at the right. Notice that the mL is one trillion times larger than the picoliter. The table (right) shows that the side of a cube with a volume of 1mL is 1cm long. Likewise, the side of a cube with a volume of 1pL is 10µm long. Just for comparison, it shows that the diameter of a sphere with a volume of 1mL is 1.24cm, and the volume of a sphere with a volume of 1pL is 12.4µm.
With these volume comparisons in mind, lets consider some of the available options for microinjection pumps.
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March 06, 2015World Precision Instruments' PUL-1000 is a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes used in intracellular recording, microperfusion and microinjection. It offers programmable sequences of up to four steps with complete control over the heating, force, movement and cooling time. This allows graduated cycles for a variety of applications. PUL-1000 can produce pipettes with tip diameters from less than 0.1µm to 10+ µm.
August 05, 2014Micro4™ from World Precision Instruments is an easy-to-use but very capable controller for WPI's Nanoliter Injector and UMP3 UltraMicropPump.
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July 21, 2014WPI's Nanoliter 2010 Microinjection Pump is ideal for many applications, including zebrafish, xenopus oocytes and drosophila. MICRO4, an optional microprocessor-based controller, can provide an "intelligent" and easy-to-use interface to up to four Nanoliter Injectors. Operating parameters are set with the membrane key-pad and LCD display.
July 08, 2014Watch how researchers from the University of Chicago inject adult zebrafish using a 10μl NanoFil microsyringe controlled by a Micro4 controller and UltraMicroPump III (UMP3-1 includes one UMP3 pump and a Micro4 controller).
June 25, 2014Chiara Cianciolo Cosentino, at the University of Pittsburgh, describes how she uses intravenous microinjections of zebrafish larvae to study acute kidney injury in this JoVE video. You can also watch this video on JoVE. WPI equipment shown in this video includes:
- MMP Manual Microsyringe Pump
- PV820 Pneumatic PicoPump
- M3301 Manual Micromanipulator
- M10 Magnetic Stand
- 5052 Steel Base Plate
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