The BTI Center for Plant Biotechnology Research is set up for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of the plant species listed below in the Transformation Fees table. To request a transformation, please complete the transformation request form. Transformation requests will be performed in the order they are received. The fees for transformations are on a per construct basis. We guarantee at least 10 independent transformants, but will provide additional transformants if they are recovered.
If you are interested in transformation of a plant species not on this list, contact Joyce Van Eck.
| Plant Species | Charge per construct | Estimated time to recover transformants** |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato | $600 | 4 months |
| Potato | $600 | 4 months |
| Nicotiana tabacum | $200 | 2 months |
| Nicotiana benthamiana | $250 | 2.5 months |
| Medicago truncatula | TBD | TBD |
| Brachypodium distachyon | TBD | TBD |
| Protocol development*** |
*As we all know, research does not always go according to plan. Every effort will be made to recover transformants, however, if unforeseen obstacles arise, your request might be delayed or not able to be completed. Based on our experience, these obstacles might include the following: a gene of interest that results in lethality or affects plant regeneration, contamination of an Agrobacterium tumefaciens culture provided by the requestor, seeds that contain a contaminant that is difficult to eradicate, a construct containing a selectable marker gene that is not expressed. Often times, it is well into a transformation experiment before it can be determined that there is a problem, which could be after a significant amount of time and effort have already been invested. To defray the expenses of this effort and any troubleshooting necessary to determine the problem, 25 - 50% of the per-construct fee will be charged depending upon the effort (labor and supplies) invested.
**Transformants will be delivered as rooted plants in test tubes or Magenta boxes.
***An hourly rate of $50.00 per hour (covers labor and supplies) will be charged to develop plant transformation methods for which there are no established protocols available.
Three laminar flow hoods that are labeled “guest hoods” and culture rooms in the center are available for those interested in performing their own plant transformations or plant cell/tissue culture. We ask that people fill out the guest hood log sheets that are affixed to each hood. For culture room use, first speak to one of the center’s personnel for shelf assignment. Assigned shelves should be labeled with the name of the person using the shelves. Please see the table below for fees associated with use of these items in the center.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Laminar flow hood | $2.50/hour |
| Culture rooms | $1.25/shelf/month |