The ultimate objective of LZH's new GNOME technology is to transfect large numbers of cells both gently and efficiently. According to its developers, the new technique will be particularly suitable for high-throughput screening. LZH is unveiling the prototype of this innovative technology at LABVOLUTION 2017 in Hannover. Visitors to the Lower Saxony Pavilion organized by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Ministry for Economics, Labor and Transport will be the first to get an impression of how GNOME laser transfection works and the possibilities it offers.

Transfection - that is to say moving exogenous molecules into biological cells - is a key technology for basic research and also for clinical and industrial applications such as drug screening, protein production and gene regulation. The main challenge lies in permeating the cell membrane efficiently without any lasting effect on the cell or the molecule's functionality. The GNOME laser transfection technology developed by LZH aims to deliver high transfection efficiency with a minimal influence on the target cells as well as high vitality rates and short process times. Gold nanoparticles added to the cells adhere to the cell membrane and accurately focus the laser energy of a picosecond laser. The membrane is permeated and exogenous molecules flow into the cell.

The prototype being exhibited at LABVOLUTION is suitable for all standard microtiter plate formats and is therefore ideal for high-throughput screening in applications such as developing active ingredients. This approach could also be used to evaluate innovative treatment options, for example based on CRIPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology.