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Revealed: the 'double-barreled gene gun'.
Posted: Thursday, August 21, 2008 12:49 pm
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It's new, it works, and it's available for commercialization.

On August 5, GMObelus reported on a three-fold accomplishment of researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech. They (1) identified the region of a large family of virulence proteins in oomycete plant pathogens, (2) established that virulence proteins from oomycetes and the malaria parasite Plasmodium use the same entry mechanism, (3) using a 'double-barreled gene gun' described as 'ingenious'.

After following up with Virginia Tech, GMObelus can now reveal the details of the 'ingenious' device.

It's actually a modification part that fits a conventional gene gun, similar to the one pictured here. It converts the gun from one barrel to two, which allows simultaneous application of control and test DNA from a single 'shot' of helium.

The inventors, Shiv Kale Dr. Brett Tyler, say that it is easy to use and cuts time for DNA delivery by 80%. 

VBI adds that this understates its significance:

"While that time reduction is significant, even more important is that experimental variation is reduced.  The Double Shot gene gun nozzle achieves this by eliminating variations in velocity and cell penetration that occur with individual shots of DNA by delivering simultaneous doses of control and test DNA side-by-side with a single burst of helium gas.  This may sound like it would cut the work in half, but this minor increase in precision reduces the number of samples needed to only 1/100 of that required when using conventional techniques, and allows scientists to perform complex experiments and make quantitative comparisons that previously would not be possible."

It's said that this apparatus also allows quantitative comparisons giving dose-response titers of gene expression, or comparison of a series of mutations to a promoter or gene of interest.

While gene guns have been on the market for 15-20 years, precise replication of these shots from one to the next has been a big problem, with internal controls being the only other solution at present. Kale and Tyler came up with this invention to solve problems for their work in plants, but it is also likely to work well for any thin layer or mono-layer, including in vitro cultures of a wide variety of cells or unicellular adherent organisms.    

Kale and Tyler disclosed their invention to VT Intellectual Properties office, which is working on a plan to take the Double-Shot gene gun nozzle from the prototype stage to a commercial product in the near future.  A US utility patent application has been filed for this technology. Contact Jackie Reed at jreed@vtip.org for information about commercialization.


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GMO (noun) 1. An acronym for the term, 'Genetically Modified Organism'. 2. A plant, animal or microbe with a genetic code which has been intentionally altered, such as through forced evolution (see selective breeding); through random mutations induced with radiation or chemicals (see mutagenesis); or through the selective transfer, promoting or silencing of specific genes (see genetic engineering). 3. Most generally, any descendant of a primordial urbiote. (See evolution.)

obelus (noun) A dagger-shaped typographical symbol [ † ] which directs a reader's attention to important matters. From the Greek, obelus, literally, a roasting skewer.

GMObelus (noun, proper) A publication directing the attention of readers to the latest news and commentary regarding the development and use of genetically modified organisms in agriculture and related fields.

peer (noun) 1. One of two or more computers sending data to each other over the same network. 2. One of two or more persons sharing information with each other over such a network. (See also, 'remote peer'.)

peer review (noun phrase)  A process by which peers review information shared over a network, rather than each other. (Compare, argumentum ad hominem.)

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