THE CLONING GUN™

MammoZapper™ and BactoZapper™ versions

Only $1695 Each!

The Cloning Gun™ is a cordless, rechargeable, hand-held electroporation instrument that achieves transfection efficiencies exceeding 50% of viable cells with a variety of standard mammalian cell lines, and Transformation Efficiencies (TE's) of over 10¹⁰ transformants per µg of input DNA with E. coli bacteria. The completely portable, hand-held design makes transformation a one-step process. Just plug in one of our revolutionary disposable Pipectrode™ pipetting electrode tips to The Cloning Gun. Draw your cell/DNA mixture into the Pipectrode using the ergonomic precision thumbwheel-operated pump, pull the trigger to zap it, and eject your transformants into a flask or Petri dish - all in less than 15 seconds! Unlike other systems, our Pipectrode makes the time consuming process of transferring your cell/DNA mixture back and forth with cuvettes and pipettes obsolete.

When you compare the low cost of The Cloning Gun and its Pipectrode chambers with the cost of conventional electroporators and cuvettes, chemically competent cells, or lipofection reagents, the increased efficiency in terms of transformants per dollar is quite impressive. If you figure in time and convenience, especially in high-throughput experiments, the increased efficiency is truly remarkable. Finally, electroporation is a simple low-cost procedure for every scientist. Don't pay more for the antiquated technology offered by other manufacturers. You can use The Cloning Gun right at your own bench, or for contamination-sensitive samples, take it to the sterile hood.

To see some of our results, click here.

The MammoZapper's unique non-ionic, minimally-conductive, near isotonic electroporation medium and ultra-short pulse time increases both transfection efficiency and post-zap viability. We took the guess-work out of electrical parameters by doing the electroporation research here. The Cloning Gun voltage and time parameters have been optimized to give excellent results with mammalian cells including neurons, astrocytes, neuroglia, lymphocytes, monocytes, fibroblasts, epithelial and endothelial cells from human, mouse, rat and monkey (see photos). Just ask us if we have tried it on your favorite cells, or get a gun and see for yourself (there is a 30-day money-back guarantee on all Tritech Research products). The thumbwheel pump and Pipectrodes are so much more user friendly than cuvettes and transfer pipettes that we guarantee The Cloning Gun is the most efficient and convenient electroporator you will ever have the pleasure of discharging.

The BactoZapper version of Tritech Research's Cloning Gun revolutionizes E. coli transformation. The Cloning Gun comes factory pre-set to the optimal parameters for transformation. TE can be greater than 10¹⁰ per µg of input DNA for cells harvested in log phase. Even with standard stationary phase cells, prepared using our revolutionary, super-easy cell prep featuring our CompBooster™ Solution, overnight cultures can exceed 10⁹per µg.

Key Cloning Gun Features:

• Pipectrodes cost less than cuvettes, yield a higher TE (due to reduced cytotoxicity of the thin stainless steel electrodes as compared with ionizing aluminum electrodes), yet are more environmentally friendly.
• While sold as "disposable", Pipectrodes can be reused many more times than cumbersome cuvettes.
• You don't need an oscilloscope to know that it is working - simple red, yellow, and green indicator lights let you know if your sample and DNA performed according to normal parameters.
• At least ten times faster than any other electroporation device.
• Ergonomic design.
• Small and portable, cordless/rechargeable.
• Use it at your own bench or in the sterile hood!

  BactoZapper Features:

  • Much less expensive per transformation than commercially available competent cells.
  • 100-fold higher transformation efficiency, with much faster sample prep as compared with home-made CaCl₂ cells.
  • Only The Cloning Gun™ is optimized to work with the revolutionary Stationary Phase cell prep, developed at Tritech Research, which can yield over 2 x 10⁹ transformants per µg using simple overnight cultures.

  MammoZapper Features:

  • Unlike other methods, electroporation only introduces your molecule of interest (not extra calcium, detergents, lipids, projectiles, or viral particles).
  • Extremely high transfection efficiency without complicated and expensive viral- mediated protocols.
  • More reliable and generally applicable than CaPO₄ co-precipitation.
  • Does not require costly lipid-based products.

Cloning Guns cost only $1695 each!†

THE PIPECTRODE™

The Pipectrode represents a major technical advance to electroporation. The most important factors for highest transformation efficiency are low toxicity, temperature control of the sample during electroporation and rapid recovery afterward.

Thin surgical stainless steel electrodes backed by water-ice temperature stabilizers provide a superior environment for cells during electroporation. We make use of the "latent heat of fusion" of water (it takes the same number of calories to melt 1g of ice as to heat 1g of water 80°C!), so your sample stays cool, which is important to avoid arcing. Since the Pipectrode is a pipet, you can eject your sample into recovery buffer instantly.

 

Comparison Costs for 100 Transformations (>2 x 10⁹/µg)**

Company	"Cuvettes"	Cells*	Supply Total	Time in batches of 5
BioRad	2 x $135	10 x $99	$1260	200 min.
BRL	3 x $70	10 x $150	$1710	300 min.
BTX	2 x $126	none available	$1800?	200 min.
Invitrogen	2 x $125	10 x $175	$1900	200 min.
Stratagene	2 x $135	10 x $135	$1620	200 min.
Strategene	"Ultra Comp."	10 x $145	$1450	700 min.
and a world apart...
Cloning Gun	2 x $75	5 x $50	$400	<17 min.

* If you prepare your own cells, you save a lot of media and a lot of time using The Cloning Gun with stationary phase cells.
** Based on recent catalogue prices; approximate times in our lab.