Services

Services offered by iVector

The iVector platform is specialized in the manufacture of viral vectors for gene transfer. We put our expertise and experience at your disposal to best respond to all types of applications (in vitro or in vivo) encompassing basic research, gene therapy and cell therapy. Our expertise and infrastructure (BSL2 and BSL3) allow us to produce highly concentrated lentiviral vectors and AAVs to meet all types of needs. iVector is part of the Paris Brain Institute’s network of platforms (genotyping, histology, microscopy, cell culture, etc.) that facilitate translational research projects

Plasmid construction

The platform offers the possibility of constructing a custom plasmid vector. This plasmid will therefore be best suited to your research project.

Construction and production of Lentiviral Vectors

Lentiviral vectors are derived from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). They have the capacity to integrate their genome into a cell (max 8kb) but have been relieved of their replicative capacity. As a result, the DNA integrated into the cell will be transmitted during cell division to daughter cells without producing viral particles.

Production is carried out by transient transfection of helper plasmids and the plasmid containing your transgene into human cells. Viral particles will be produced by the use of cellular machinery and recovered by ultracentrifugation.

You can entrust us with the construction of your plasmid-transgene, or give us directly your already constructed plasmid.

3 production sizes are available:

• Mini production: around 50µL of viral vector
• Maximum production: around 150 to 200µL of viral vector
• Giga production: approximately 300 to 400µL of viral vector

3 types of titrations are available:

• ELISA titration of the P24 capsid protein (quantification of the quantity of physical particles)
• Titration by qPCR after infection of cells (Quantification of the number of viral particles capable of infecting a cell)
• Titration by flow cytometry if presence of a fluorochrome (Quantification of the number of infected cells capable of expressing the integrated transgene)

Construction and production of AAV vectors

The AAV vectors are derived from adeno-associated viruses. They make it possible to transfer a small size of DNA (4kb) and without integration into the DNA of the target cell. This avoids uncontrolled insertion which could disrupt cell function.

The PFV accepts your ready-to-use AAV-transgene vectors but can also take charge of the custom construction of your AAV-gene vectors of interest and proceed with the production of AAV viral particles of different serotypes.

Equipment availability

The platform consists of an L1 laboratory with an area dedicated to bacteriology for the construction of plasmids.

We also have an L2 and L3 manipulation area for the manipulation and production of viral vectors.