Since launching in 1993, Invitrogen Lipofectamine reagents have become the most referenced transfection reagents with over 50,000 citations. You continue to choose these reagents due to their wide acceptance as the best and most reliable available. Lipofectamine reagents offer you the ability to consistently transfect many cell types with high efficiency and exceptional ease of use.

Our Lipofectamine reagent-specific protocols have been optimized for efficiency, viability, and reproducibility across a broad range of cell types (see "Download protocol" links in the table below). This can be a great place to start especially in a new cell line. If you find this doesn’t work for your specific cell type, then you can you look to our cell-specific protocols for further optimization.

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Find a great transfection reagent for your cell type and payload

We offer transfection reagents for DNA, siRNA, RNA, and protein delivery, providing a range of options to suit your transfection experiment:

  • DNA delivery—Transient and stable transfection of DNA plasmids. DNA transfection is used to study gene function and regulation, mutational analysis and biochemical characterization of gene products, effects of gene expression on the health and life cycle of cells, as well as for large scale production of proteins for purification and downstream applications.
  • RNA delivery—Transient transfection of mRNA or RNAi molecules. mRNA transfection, which allows the production of recombinant proteins without the need for nuclear entry, is useful for short-term studies of gene expression and has emerged as a promising application for vaccine studies. RNAi molecules facilitate gene knockdown, which can be used in analyses of protein function and phenotype, function recovery, pathway analysis, in vivo knockdown, and drug target discovery.
  • Protein delivery—CRISPR-Cas9 transfection allows for genome editing in broad applications such as stem cell engineering, gene therapy, tissue and animal disease models, and engineering disease-resistant transgenic plants.

When selecting a transfection method, consider the payload you wish to deliver (DNA, RNA, or protein) and the type of cells you want to transfect. Use the selection guide below to choose between our various cationic-lipid transfection reagents and our electroporation transfection system.

Continuous cell lines are capable of unlimited proliferative potential, and are generally easier to work with than primary or finite cell cultures. However, because these cells have undergone genetic transformation to become immortalized, their behavior in culture may not necessarily reflect the in vivo situation.

ReagentDNAmRNARNAiCo-
delivery
CRISPR-Cas9AntibodyCell type(s)Adherent or suspension
Lipofectamine 2000Red DNA icon  Green and red siRNA and vector icons  Common and easy-to-transfect cell typesAdherent and suspension
Lipofectamine 3000Red DNA icon  Green and red siRNA and vector icons  Workhorse (HeLa) through to hard-to-transfect (cancer cells)Adherent
Lipofectamine LTXRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi iconGreen and red siRNA and vector icons  CHO cells and some primary fibroblast, epithelial, and neuronal cells (MEF, HMEC, and E18 cells)Adherent
Lipofectamine RNAiMAX  Purple RNAi icon   Established cell lines, hard-to-transfect cells, primary cells, stem cellsAdherent
Lipofectamine MessengerMAX Green mRNA icon    Neuronal cells, primary cellsAdherent
Lipofectamine
CRISPRMAX
    Gray CRISPR-Cas9 icon Tested in over 20 cell types including iPSC, mESC, N2A, CHO, A549, HCT116, HeLa, HEK293, and several othersAdherent
Neon NxT Electroporation SystemRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi iconGreen and red siRNA and vector iconsGray CRISPR-Cas9 iconantibody icon Suspension
Invivofectamine 3.0 Green mRNA iconPurple RNAi icon    In vivo delivery to liver following tail vein injection

Primary cells are isolated directly from the tissue and proliferated under appropriate conditions. As such, they are morphologically and physiologically more similar to an in vivo state. However, they are usually more difficult to culture and transfect than continuous cell lines.

After the first subculture, the primary culture becomes known as a cell line. Cell lines derived from primary cultures have a limited life span (i.e., they are finite), and as they are passaged, cells with the highest growth capacity predominate, resulting in a degree of genotypic and phenotypic uniformity in the population. Therefore, their phenotype is intermediate between primary cells and continuous cultures. The use of such cells is sometimes easier than the use of primary cells, especially for the generation of stably transfected clones.

ReagentDNA mRNA RNAi Co-deliveryCRISPR-Cas9AntibodyCell type(s)Adherent or suspension
Lipofectamine 2000Red DNA icon  Green and red siRNA and vector icons  Neuronal cellsAdherent and suspension
Lipofectamine 3000Red DNA icon  Green and red siRNA and vector icons  Workhorse (HeLa) through to hard-to-transfect (cancer cells)Adherent
Lipofectamine StemRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi icon Gray CRISPR-Cas9 icon Stem cells (except HSCs)Adherent and suspension
Lipofectamine LTXRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi iconGreen and red siRNA and vector icons  CHO cells and some primary fibroblast, epithelial, and neuronal cells (MEF, HMEC, and E18 cells)Adherent
Lipofectamine
CRISPRMAX
    Gray CRISPR-Cas9 icon Tested in over 20 cells types including iPSC, mESC, N2A, CHO, A549, HCT116, HeLa, HEK293, and several othersAdherent
Lipofectamine RNAiMAX  Purple RNAi icon   Established cell lines, hard-to-transfect cells, primary cells, stem cellsAdherent
Lipofectamine MessengerMAX Green mRNA icon    Neuronal cells, primary cellsAdherent
Neon NxT Electroporation SystemRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi iconGreen and red siRNA and vector iconsGray CRISPR-Cas9 iconantibody iconOver 140 cell lines tested; excels in hard-to-transfect cells, primary cells, and stem cellsSuspension

Continuous cell lines are capable of unlimited proliferative potential, and are generally easier to work with than primary or finite cell cultures. However, because these cells have undergone genetic transformation to become immortalized, their behavior in culture may not necessarily reflect the in vivo situation.

ReagentDNAmRNARNAiCo-
delivery
CRISPR-Cas9AntibodyCell type(s)Adherent or suspension
Lipofectamine 2000Red DNA icon  Green and red siRNA and vector icons  Common and easy-to-transfect cell typesAdherent and suspension
Lipofectamine 3000Red DNA icon  Green and red siRNA and vector icons  Workhorse (HeLa) through to hard-to-transfect (cancer cells)Adherent
Lipofectamine LTXRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi iconGreen and red siRNA and vector icons  CHO cells and some primary fibroblast, epithelial, and neuronal cells (MEF, HMEC, and E18 cells)Adherent
Lipofectamine RNAiMAX  Purple RNAi icon   Established cell lines, hard-to-transfect cells, primary cells, stem cellsAdherent
Lipofectamine MessengerMAX Green mRNA icon    Neuronal cells, primary cellsAdherent
Lipofectamine
CRISPRMAX
    Gray CRISPR-Cas9 icon Tested in over 20 cell types including iPSC, mESC, N2A, CHO, A549, HCT116, HeLa, HEK293, and several othersAdherent
Neon NxT Electroporation SystemRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi iconGreen and red siRNA and vector iconsGray CRISPR-Cas9 iconantibody icon Suspension
Invivofectamine 3.0 Green mRNA iconPurple RNAi icon    In vivo delivery to liver following tail vein injection

Primary cells are isolated directly from the tissue and proliferated under appropriate conditions. As such, they are morphologically and physiologically more similar to an in vivo state. However, they are usually more difficult to culture and transfect than continuous cell lines.

After the first subculture, the primary culture becomes known as a cell line. Cell lines derived from primary cultures have a limited life span (i.e., they are finite), and as they are passaged, cells with the highest growth capacity predominate, resulting in a degree of genotypic and phenotypic uniformity in the population. Therefore, their phenotype is intermediate between primary cells and continuous cultures. The use of such cells is sometimes easier than the use of primary cells, especially for the generation of stably transfected clones.

ReagentDNA mRNA RNAi Co-deliveryCRISPR-Cas9AntibodyCell type(s)Adherent or suspension
Lipofectamine 2000Red DNA icon  Green and red siRNA and vector icons  Neuronal cellsAdherent and suspension
Lipofectamine 3000Red DNA icon  Green and red siRNA and vector icons  Workhorse (HeLa) through to hard-to-transfect (cancer cells)Adherent
Lipofectamine StemRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi icon Gray CRISPR-Cas9 icon Stem cells (except HSCs)Adherent and suspension
Lipofectamine LTXRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi iconGreen and red siRNA and vector icons  CHO cells and some primary fibroblast, epithelial, and neuronal cells (MEF, HMEC, and E18 cells)Adherent
Lipofectamine
CRISPRMAX
    Gray CRISPR-Cas9 icon Tested in over 20 cells types including iPSC, mESC, N2A, CHO, A549, HCT116, HeLa, HEK293, and several othersAdherent
Lipofectamine RNAiMAX  Purple RNAi icon   Established cell lines, hard-to-transfect cells, primary cells, stem cellsAdherent
Lipofectamine MessengerMAX Green mRNA icon    Neuronal cells, primary cellsAdherent
Neon NxT Electroporation SystemRed DNA iconGreen mRNA iconPurple RNAi iconGreen and red siRNA and vector iconsGray CRISPR-Cas9 iconantibody iconOver 140 cell lines tested; excels in hard-to-transfect cells, primary cells, and stem cellsSuspension
SymbolExplanationSymbolExplanation
Red DNA iconDNA for expression of protein, shRNA, and miRNAGreen mRNA iconmRNA for expression of protein
Purple RNAi iconNon-coding RNA for RNAi inhibition of gene expressionGreen and red siRNA and vector iconsCo-delivery for cotransfection of
RNAi vectors and siRNAs
Gray CRISPR-Cas9 iconCRISPR-Cas9 for protein deliveryAntibody iconAntibody for protein tracing, therapeutics, disease pathogenesis


Lipid-mediated delivery of DNA

Cationic lipid based-based transfection is the most popular chemical transfection method. Known for their ease of use, the Lipofectamine reagents are categorized below based on their payloads.

Lipofectamine 2000

Invitrogen Lipofectamine 2000 Transfection Reagent is well-suited for common and easy-to-transfect cell types. It is widely used in transfection experiments that require dependability, allowing researchers to focus on more important variables. This broad-spectrum versatility is derived from a simple protocol and well-known ability to work across several applications. Transfection conditions can be easily established for high-throughput applications involving automated or robotic systems. Lipofectamine 2000 is the best choice for establishing stable cell lines and the transfection of neuronal cells. It is effective in co-delivering both plasmid DNA and siRNA. This reagent is recommended for use with neurons over Lipofectamine 3000.

Learn more about Lipofectamine 2000

Lipofectamine 3000

Lipofectamine LTX Reagent with PLUS Reagent


Lipid-mediated delivery of mRNA

Lipofectamine MessengerMAX

Invitrogen Lipofectamine MessengerMAX Transfection Reagent is designed to transfect neurons and a broad spectrum of difficult-to-transfect primary cells with a larger amount of mRNA. This results in a more than two-fold improvement in transfection efficiency compared to other lipid-based reagents. Transfection of mRNA with Lipofectamine MessengerMAX reagent results in faster protein expression because translation of mRNA occurs in the cytoplasm. Additionally, delivery of mRNA does not require nuclear entry, which eliminates the risk of genomic integration and enables high transfection efficiency in slowly dividing cells. Expect up to 10x higher cleavage using mRNA CRISPRs.

Learn more about Lipofectamine MessengerMAX


Lipid-mediated delivery of siRNA

Lipofectamine RNAiMAX

Invitrogen Lipofectamine RNAiMAX Transfection Reagent offers the highest transfection efficiencies on the widest variety of cell types for siRNA-mediated gene knockdown experiments, including high-throughput applications. A proprietary RNAi-specific cationic lipid formulation is designed for robust delivery of siRNA and miRNA into all cell types, especially when combined with Invitrogen Silencer Select siRNA. The simple, rapid protocol accommodates lower siRNA concentrations, thus enabling more effective gene knockdown with minimal nonspecific effects. Lipofectamine RNAiMAX is ideal for high-throughput siRNA transfections. Expect easy optimization due to minimal cytotoxicity across a 10-fold concentration range.

Learn more about Lipofectamine RNAiMAX

Invivofectamine 3.0 Reagent for in vivo delivery


Lipid-mediated delivery of ribonucleoprotein for CRISPR-Cas9

Lipofectamine CRISPRMAX

Invitrogen Lipofectamine CRISPRMAX Cas9 Transfection Reagent is the first optimized lipid nanoparticle transfection reagent for delivery of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes for CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. It is a high throughput–compatible, cost-effective alternative to electroporation. Working together with Invitrogen TrueCut Cas9 Protein v2 and Invitrogen TrueGuide Synthetic gRNA, it provides demonstrated cleavage efficiency, low cell toxicity, and cost savings. Unlike CRISPR plasmids or Cas9 mRNA, using Cas9 protein provides superior cleavage efficiency in primary cells and stem cells. It eliminates the need for transcription or translation of the payload, removes the risk of genomic integration, and is cell cycle independent.

Shop Lipofectamine CRISPRMAX
Learn more about CRISPR transfection


Lipid-mediated delivery in stem cells

Lipofectamine Stem

293fectin Transfection Reagent

  • Used for transient protein production in combination with the Invitrogen FreeStyle 293 Expression System. Optimized for suspension Invitrogen FreeStyle 293-F cells

Cellfectin II Transfection Reagent

DMRIE-C Transfection Reagent

  • Transfection of suspension cells, including CHO, lymphoid, and Jurkat cell lines

ExpiFectamine 293 Transfection Kit

  • Designed for transfection of high-density suspension cell culture, with matching transfection enhancers that boost transfection performance and protein expression
  • Achieves protein yields 2- to 10-fold higher than other transfection reagents used on high density 293 cell cultures
  • Provides robust and reproducible transfection results
  • Scale transfections for culture volumes of less than 1 mL to greater than 10 L, while maintaining equivalent volumetric protein yields

ExpiFectamine CHO Transfection Kit

  • Designed for transfection of high-density suspension CHO cells, with matching transfection enhancer and culture feed to boost transfection performance and protein expression
  • Achieves protein yields up to 3 grams/liter in high density Gibco ExpiCHO cell cultures
  • Provides robust and reproducible transfection results
  • Scale transfections for culture volumes of less than 1 mL to greater than 10 L, while maintaining equivalent volumetric protein yields

FreeStyle MAX Transfection Reagent

  • Optimized for transient transfection in CHO suspension cells and also works for HEK-293 cells
  • Used for large-scale transient protein production with milligrams of protein yield

Lipofectamine 2000 CD Transfection Reagent

  • Same performance as Invitrogen Lipofectamine 2000, certified animal-origin free (“CD” = chemically defined)

Lipofectamine Transfection Reagent

  • First generation reagent for plasmid DNA transfections
  • In most cases, Lipofectamine 2000 provides better performance than Invitrogen Lipofectamine Transfection Reagent

Oligofectamine Transfection Reagent

  • Transfection of antisense oligonucleotides

Optifect Transfection Reagent

  • Broad use reagent designed for low confluency applications (<70% confluent at the time of transfection)
  • Useful for cell lines that are sensitive to transfection reagents


Meet the Lipofectamine transfection products inventor

R&D transfection insights

Xavier de Mollerat du Jeu, Sr. Staff Scientist, discusses the transfection research program and key factors for successful transfections, which resulted in enhanced protocols for the Lipofectamine line of transfection reagents.


Selection antibiotics

In addition to our large selection of transfection reagents, explore Gibco selection antibiotics, which provide unique solutions for your transfection experiments, including dual selection and rapid cell line establishment.

leaf icon Sustainable packaging

Packaging must protect the product inside—but that doesn’t have to mean sacrificing sustainability. Lipofectamine products are shipped at ambient temperature, diverting 24,000 ft3 of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) coolers from landfills annually. We reduce the carbon footprint from packaging and shipping these products by 80 tons (CO2 equivalents).

Learn more about sustainable solutions
 Download the green fact sheet

Resources

Our Lipofectamine reagent-specific protocols have been optimized for efficiency, viability, and reproducibility across a broad range of cell types. Search this library to find protocols and citations curated to fit your experimental needs. Filter by cell type, payload, and product of choice to easily unlock your answers.

Explore protocols and citations

More information

Transfection FAQs

Search our extensive collection of Transfection FAQs to find the answers you need. Input key terms for your transfection questions to discover a collection of carefully curated and regularly updated answers.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

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