AAV concentration & reformulation
The problem
AAVs are often produced in dilute volumes that need to be cleaned up and concentrated. Tackling this process with centrifugal filtration devices or one at a time flow filtration instruments is labor intensive, especially at high sample numbers and volumes. Viral vectors like AAV need rapid clean up and buffer exchange workflows that don’t compromise the integrity of the sample and have high recovery.
The right tools for the job
Lil' Tuna is the first fully automated, plate-based benchtop buffer exchange system built for proteins, nucleic acids, and gene therapy vectors at any scale. Lil’ Tuna concentrates or exchanges 96- and 24-well plates for higher throughput or up to 6 individual samples in parallel — all on the same instrument. Its pressure-based ultrafiltration/diafiltration (UF/DF) approach keeps things flowing efficiently, tracks sample volumes and accurately adds buffer throughout the run, handling every step of the exchange cycle automatically from start to finish.
Lil’ Tuna uses a variety of consumables depending on your throughput needs. For higher throughput, there are plate-based consumables called Unfilters. All Unfilters use a regenerated cellulose membrane which is ideal for viral vectors because it minimizes non-specific binding. They come in 2 formats, 96-well (100 – 450 µL) or 24-well (0.45 – 8 mL). For single samples, there are individual sample wells called Unas. Each Una holds 0.45 to 8 mL of sample and Lil’ Tuna handles 1-6 Unas per run. Unas have either regenerated cellulose or polyethersulfone membranes allowing you to choose which works for your sample. Both Unfilters and Unas are designed to make sure your samples stay put, don’t get absorbed, and the liquid passes right through — with ≥96% recovery. So no matter what size the sample is or what volume is available, Lil’ Tuna has the right format.
The proof
Get your AAV to its happy place
AAV stability can be impacted by changes to buffer pH, salts, and ionic strength. When Lil’ Tuna partners up with Aunty, a wide range of these conditions can be studied without using tons of sample. Lil’ Tuna gently exchanges your AAVs into various conditions without stressing the capsids. Then Aunty can assess the AAV capsid stability in those conditions based on the temperature that the capsid is disrupted.
Lil' Tuna
Lil’ Tuna is the first automated, plate-based ultrafiltration and diafiltration (UF/DF) system for buffer exchanging, concentrating, or desalting proteins, viral vectors and nucleic acids - with consistently high recoveries. Process 1 to 96 samples in parallel with minimal hands-on time and achieve consistent and reliable sample prep for formulation screening, stability testing or any other downstream assay.
Want more info?
Want to learn more about how Lil' Tuna can handle your AAV concentration and reformulation with ease?