ProteanFect™ TuffCell Transfection Kit is a novel, protein-based system designed to deliver nucleic acids efficiently and safely into difficult-to-transfect cell types. Using a coacervate-based mechanism derived from engineered mammalian proteins, ProteanFect provides a non-viral, non-liposomal, and non-electroporation alternative for nucleic acid delivery. The reagent achieves high transfection efficiency while maintaining low cytotoxicity, making it particularly suitable for sensitive primary cells and complex cell lines such as immune cells, stem cells, and neurons. This system enables reliable gene expression, silencing, and editing applications where conventional methods often perform poorly.
Features and Benefits
ProteanFect offers high transfection efficiency, with data showing greater than 85% success rates in challenging cell systems. Its gentle formulation supports high cell viability and functional preservation, minimizing the cellular stress typically observed with lipid-based or electroporation approaches. The reagent accommodates a wide range of nucleic acid cargos -including DNA, mRNA and siRNA. It can also delivery CRIPSR gene editing system such as Cas9 mRNA with sgRNA or even RNA complexes-allowing flexibility across diverse experimental designs. Its straightforward mix-and-add protocol eliminates the need for specialized instrumentation and can be scaled easily for multi-well plate formats or high-throughput workflows. The biocompatible, biodegradable nature of ProteanFect’s protein coacervate system also enhances safety and simplifies handling compared with viral or synthetic transfection reagents.
Applications
ProteanFect is suitable for a broad array of molecular and cellular biology studies. It supports gene overexpression through the delivery of plasmid DNA encoding target genes, as well as mRNA transfection for transient expression applications. The reagent can be used effectively for
- RNA interference via siRNA/shRNA, and
- CRISPR-mediated editing involving Cas9 ribonucleoproteins or mRNA/sgRNA constructs
Its capacity for multiplex nucleic acid delivery allows simultaneous transfection of multiple cargos—such as plasmid and siRNA combinations—within the same recipient cells. Because of its compatibility with primary and sensitive cell types, including T cells and NK cells, ProteanFect is particulary valuable for studies demanding high viability, phenotype retention and functional readouts. Efficient mRNA delivery in stem cells, including CD34+, HSPCs and iPSCs, enables tunable gene expression and stage-specific editing. Its scalability makes it equally suitable for exploratory research, optimization studies, or screening applications.