Vector Academy

Vector Academy is our knowledge base that serves as your resource for diving deeper into all things cloning, viruses, and gene delivery. We’re excited to share our expertise and what we’ve learned from decades of collective experience with you.

{['All Posts'|boatFixI18n|translate]}
{[s[0]|boatFixI18n|translate]}

{['Popular tags'|boatFixI18n|translate]}:

{[tag|boatFixI18n|translate]}

Lessons in Gene Delivery | Nov 10, 2025

Small but Mighty: How AAV Became a Key Viral Vector for Therapeutics Development

Keywords: AAV, in vivo viral vector, therapeutic development, serotype tropism

Learn about AAV and the properties that have made it one of the most popular viral vectors for in vivo applications and therapeutic development.

Lessons in Gene Delivery | Oct 17, 2025

CRISPR Library Screening Made Simple | Part 1: Setting Up for Success

Keywords: CRISPR screening, gRNA library design, in vitro and in vivo models, library preparation

Explore the critical steps in designing and performing CRISPR screens and learn what to consider to set your screening project up for success.

Troubleshooting Guides | Jul 18, 2025

Enhancing mRNA Therapeutics in Two Shakes of a Poly(A) Tail

Keywords: mRNA vaccine, polyadenylation, poly(A) tail, mRNA stability

Learn about the crucial role of poly(A) tails in the life cycle of mRNAs and how to leverage this for optimal efficacy of mRNA-based therapeutics.

Lessons in Gene Delivery | May 27, 2025

Gene Delivery Seminar Series: Modeling Neurodegenerative Disease Risk Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Keywords: Gene delivery seminar series, iPSCs, neurodegenerative disease, CRISPR

Dr. Narayan's innovative work shows how patient-derived iPSC models are transforming our understanding of AD while paving the way toward targeted therapies.

Gene Delivery in the Spotlight | Mar 21, 2025

Optimizing CRISPR: Technology and Approaches for High Efficiency Gene Editing

Keywords: CRISPR-Cas9, genome editing, CRISPR vector design, gene knockout, gene regulation

An overview of CRISPR-Cas9 tools and mechanisms, with practical tips to optimize vector design for efficient genome editing.

Lessons in Gene Delivery | Feb 10, 2025

CRISPR This Way: Choosing Between Delivery Systems

Keywords: CRISPR delivery, plasmid, virus, mRNA, RNP

A comparison of delivery systems to help you choose the optimal method for your CRISPR experiments, from research applications to clinical use.

Lessons in Gene Delivery | Dec 05, 2024

Design Pitfall: Using The Same Promoter To Drive Two Genes In Lentiviral Vector

Keywords: Lentivirus, Vector Design, Repetitive Sequences

Using two identical promoters in a lentiviral vector causes detrimental effects on proper expression of the two open reading frames.

Lessons in Gene Delivery | Nov 15, 2024

So Many Promoters, So Little Time: Selecting Ubiquitous Promoters for Effective Gene Delivery

Keywords: Promoter, cloning, CMV, CAG, lentivirus, AAV

This article highlights the role of ubiquitous promoters in gene delivery, discussing the advantages and limitations of viral and non-viral promoters, including CMV, CAG, and EF1α, to guide you in your vector design decisions.

Gene Delivery in the Spotlight | Jul 11, 2024

Unleashing the Power of Oncolytic Viruses: Design Strategies for Maximum Efficacy

Keywords: Oncolytic virus, tumor targeting, immune stimulation

A deep dive into the attributes and design of recombinant viruses for use as potent oncolytic agents in the clinic and why HSV and VACV are ideal oncolytic virus candidates.

Troubleshooting Guides | Apr 18, 2024

Shine Bright, Little Cell: A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right Reporter Gene

Keywords: Reporter genes, fluorescent reporters, luciferase assay

Discover primary reporter types and navigate the roadmap to find whether fluorescent reporters, luciferase, or beta-galactosidase is the best option to detect and measure your gene or element of interest.

Troubleshooting Guides | Feb 23, 2024

Me First! How Do I Optimize a Vector with Multiple Genes?

Keywords: Bicistronic vector, 2A peptide, linker

This guide provides key considerations and troubleshooting tips for constructing vectors with multiple genes, including which linker to use and the importance of optimizing order.

Lessons in Gene Delivery | Jan 11, 2024

Precision Genetics: Navigating the Cre-lox Toolbox

Keywords: Cre recombinase, conditional knockout, Cre-lox system

The Cre-Lox system, featuring Cre recombinase and loxP sites, is a cornerstone of genetic engineering, enabling precise control over gene expression and modification.

Lessons in Gene Delivery | Nov 17, 2023

Snip Snap: Time for Transposons

Keywords: Transposable elements, transposase, PiggyBac

Learn about optimization strategies gene delivery systems using transposons and transposases. Here we compare different systems like piggyBac, Sleeping Beauty, and Tol2, detailing their integration mechanisms, carrying capacities, and target preferences.

Gene Delivery in the Spotlight | Oct 11, 2023

Driving CAR-T Therapy in the Clinic and with CRISPR

Keywords: CAR-T cell therapy, Kymriah CAR-T, immunotherpy

A deep dive into the biology behind CAR-T vectors, their clinical applications, and how CRISPR/Cas9 is being used to create the next generation of CAR therapeutics.

Troubleshooting Guides | Sep 25, 2023

Enhance Your Culture: How to Improve Bacterial Growth for Efficient Gene Delivery

Keywords: Cell culture media, plasmid yield, bacterial growth

Plasmid yield from bacterial cultures can be enhanced by optimizing antibiotics, culture conditions, and even the plasmid itself. This guide showcases how high your yield can be through simple steps.