Patent Title: Alternating Current Magnet System For Magnet Assisted Transfection
IP Status: Granted US patent; filing/protection coverage in Türkiye
Technology Area: Gene Delivery / Magnetofection / Cell Engineering / Laboratory Technologies
TRL: TRL 4
This alternating-current magnetofection system uses dynamic magnetic fields to control the movement of gene-carrying magnetic nanoparticles at the cell surface, providing a platform for enhancing transfection efficiency. Adjustable magnetic-field parameters and selective field control support systematic optimisation of gene-delivery conditions across different cells and experimental protocols.
Technology Overview
The technology is a magnetofection platform that uses alternating-current-generated dynamic magnetic fields to facilitate delivery of genetic material into target cells using magnetic nanoparticles. In magnetofection, nucleic-acid payloads are associated with magnetic carriers such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), which can then be directed towards cultured cells using magnetic forces.
Conventional magnetofection systems rely primarily on static magnets to attract magnetic nanoparticle–gene complexes towards the cell surface. The developed system introduces an alternating magnetic field that additionally promotes lateral movement of the particles across the cell membrane. Rapid polarity changes can therefore improve the distribution of gene-carrying nanoparticles at the cell surface and increase opportunities for cellular uptake through endocytosis.
The system is based on an electromagnet architecture comprising ferromagnetic cores and multilayer coils. Magnetic-field intensity, exposure duration and ON/OFF cycles can be electrically controlled. AC and DC magnetic fields may also be applied in different sequences, enabling the transfection protocol to be adapted according to parameters such as cell type, magnetic nanoparticle system and nucleic-acid payload.
A further feature is selective magnetic-field application across different experimental locations. The system can interface with standard multi-well cell-culture plates, including 96-well formats. Row-column addressing allows selected wells to receive magnetic-field exposure while others remain as experimental controls, supporting parallel comparison of different transfection conditions on the same platform.
The compact architecture contains no moving mechanical components and is designed for integration into existing cell-culture and magnetofection workflows. The technology provides a controllable laboratory platform for gene-delivery research, cell engineering, transfection-protocol optimisation and magnetic-nanoparticle-mediated nucleic-acid delivery.
Problem / Market Need
Efficient delivery of DNA, RNA and other nucleic acids into target cells is a fundamental requirement in gene-function studies, cell engineering, genetic modification research and development of emerging biological therapies. Transfection efficiency can vary significantly between cell types, and achieving adequate gene delivery remains challenging in many difficult-to-transfect cells.
Conventional static-magnet magnetofection systems can effectively attract gene-carrying magnetic nanoparticles towards cells but provide limited active control over their movement and distribution across the cell membrane. Localised particle accumulation can restrict the surface area available for interaction with cells.
Dynamic alternating magnetic fields introduce an additional control mechanism by promoting particle movement and redistribution at the cell surface. Controllable field intensity, timing and selective exposure also create opportunities to systematically optimise gene-delivery protocols for different experimental conditions.
Key Advantages
- Dynamic alternating magnetic fields designed to enhance magnetofection and gene delivery
- Lateral movement of magnetic nanoparticles across the cell surface
- Improved distribution of gene-carrying nanoparticles at the cell membrane
- Controllable magnetic-field intensity, exposure duration and ON/OFF cycles
- Ability to combine AC and DC magnetic-field stages within different transfection protocols
- Selective magnetic-field application to specific experimental regions or wells
- Compatibility with standard multi-well culture formats, including 96-well plates
- Compact benchtop architecture with no moving mechanical components
Applications
- Magnetofection-based delivery of DNA and other nucleic acids into cultured cells
- Gene-expression research
- Cell-engineering and genetic-modification studies
- Development of gene-delivery protocols for difficult-to-transfect cells
- Optimisation of magnetofection conditions
- Laboratory-scale gene delivery for gene-therapy and therapeutic-nucleic-acid research
- Parallel cell-culture and transfection experiments
- Magnetic-nanoparticle-mediated cellular-delivery research
Relevant Industries
- Biotechnology
- Cell and Gene Therapy Research
- Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical R&D
- Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Cell Engineering
- Laboratory and Life-Science Instrumentation
- Nanobiotechnology
- Academic and Industrial Life-Science Research
Technology Readiness Level & Validation
Technology Readiness Level: TRL 4
The technology has been evaluated in laboratory magnetofection experiments and the operating principle of the alternating-current magnetic-field approach has been demonstrated. Current work consists of laboratory-scale experimental systems and cell-transfection studies rather than a product-oriented physical prototype.
Laboratory experiments compared the developed AC magnet system with a commercial static DC magnet system. Cells exposed to the alternating magnetic field showed increased fluorescence consistent with enhanced gene-transfer effectiveness. Under the experimental conditions disclosed in the patent, an increase in transfection effectiveness of up to approximately six-fold was reported.
This performance result is specific to the tested cell model, magnetic nanoparticle system and experimental conditions and should not be interpreted as a universal six-fold improvement across different cells or transfection applications.
The experimental system was evaluated using an alternating magnetic field of approximately 25 mT at 60 Hz and in cell-culture studies including HEK293 cells. The architecture also supports selective activation of different experimental regions within multi-well plates.
The Technology Form identifies formal testing / validation as not yet started. The available laboratory results are therefore treated as demonstration of the operating principle and gene-delivery potential rather than completed product-level or industrial validation.
Intellectual Property
US Patent: US11160884B2
US Patent Publication: US20200360539A1
US Application No.: US16/412,387
Turkish Application: TR2019/10279
Patent Title: Alternating Current Magnet System For Magnet Assisted Transfection
US Filing / Priority Date: 14 May 2019
Turkish Filing Date: 10 July 2019
US Patent Grant Date: 2 November 2021
Applicant / Assignee: Sabancı University
Protection / Filing Coverage Reported in the Technology Form: United States, Türkiye
Commercialisation Status
The technology is currently at the research stage and is available for licensing. Further development requires translation of the laboratory-demonstrated AC magnetofection approach into a product-oriented prototype, validation across additional cell and gene-delivery protocols, and integration into reproducible laboratory workflows.
Collaboration Opportunities
- Licensing
- Scientific consultancy
- Joint R&D and co-development
- Industrial validation and pilot testing
- Joint manufacturing and product development
Potential partners may include biotechnology companies developing transfection reagents and gene-delivery systems, cell and gene-therapy R&D organisations, life-science instrumentation manufacturers, cell-culture and high-throughput screening technology developers, and organisations working with magnetic nanoparticle platforms.
Priority areas for joint development include validation across different cell types, development of user-programmable magnetic-field parameters, automation of parallel treatment and control experiments, and translation of the system into a laboratory product compatible with standard cell-culture instrumentation.
Inventors
Inventor: Murat Kaya Yapici
Contact
For licensing, industrial validation, joint R&D or other collaboration opportunities related to this technology, please contact Sabancı University Technology Transfer Office (SUATT) at dpe.suatt@sabanciuniv.edu.