The ViraPower™ BacMam Expression System provides BacMam pCMV-Dest Vector, Cellfectin™ II Reagent, and MAX Efficiency™ DH10Bac™ Competent Cells for easy recombination-based cloning and baculovirus-based expression of a target gene. With BacMam technology, a modified insect cell virus (baculovirus) is used as a vehicle to efficiently deliver and transiently express genes in mammalian cells with minimum effort and toxicity. This technology allows for control over the level of expression through the increase or decrease of viral particle concentration.When combined with Gateway™ cloning technology, a variety of sizes of target genes can be cloned and expressed. Sizes ranging from an insert for RNAi to a large gene with introns (38 kb) have been cloned and expressed successfully using the BacMam pCMV-Dest Vector. This plasmid accommodates various cloning schemes, including Gateway™, Seamless Assembly, and traditional cloning using restriction enzymes.

The BacMam pCMV-Dest Vector contains a CMV promoter to drive constitutive expression of the target gene. It also contains VSV-G elements, which enable baculovirus to have high transduction efficiency, and a WPRE element, which elongates transient expression in mammalian systems. To facilitate successful cloning, AmpR and gentamicin have been incorporated for positive selection, as well as Cm(R) (chloramphenicol resistance gene) for negative selection. Upon successful cloning, the region containing the CmR is replaced by the insert, selecting against any bacteria that still have a CmR-containing region.

Cellfectin™ II Reagent (included) is a cationic-lipid formulation designed for optimal transfection of insect cells. The system also includes MAX Efficiency™ DH10Bac™ Competent Cells, which are optimized for the production of recombinant baculovirus molecules for the expression of eukaryotic proteins.