Viral vectors are commonly used to deliver nucleic acids into cells. They can be used for many applications such as chemogenetics, cell tracing, sensing neurotransmitters, generating stable cell lines, and large scale CRISPR screens. This section of the blog guides you through the different types of viral vectors and their applications.
New to using viral vectors? Not sure what they are or how to use them? Read our Viral Vector 101 blog posts for the basics on viral vectors.
Viral production is a common step after requesting plasmids. Addgene’s AAV and lentiviral services eliminate this step and help save you time and get results faster. Check out these posts for behind-the-scenes insights on Addgene’s viral service. Our quarterly updates for new and upcoming items from the viral service are also posted here.
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a single-stranded DNA, non-enveloped virus that infects both dividing and non-dividing cells. AAV is a popular choice for those working in vivo because it is only mildly immunogenic and remains primarily episomal, reducing the risk of insertional mutations. One drawback of AAV is its limited packaging capacity of only ~4.5Kb. Learn more about using AAVs in this section.
Retroviral vectors are commonly used for both in vitro and in vivo gene expression. Through reverse transcription, retroviruses integrate into a host cell's genome leading to long term transgene expression. This makes them useful tools for stable cell line generation. One downside of these vectors is that integration may lead to insertional mutagenesis and tumorigenesis. Lentiviruses are a class of retroviruses that have the benefit of infecting non-dividing cells in addition to dividing cells. They’re often used for CRISPR screens. In this section of the blog, find more about these vectors and how to use them in your experiment.
New to using viral vectors in the lab? Or perhaps you would like tips for troubleshooting your experiment? Read our viral vector protocols and tips blog posts for advice on using viral vectors in the lab.
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