Apparatus and system having dry gene silencing pools

A method of reverse transfection for introducing siRNA into a cell to effect gene silencing, the method comprising:

• providing a well plate contained in a sealed, sterile package, said well plate having a plurality of wells containing a dried gene silencing composition, the dried gene silencing composition comprising:
• at least one siRNA that is capable of silencing a target gene, said siRNA being capable of being solubilized or suspended in an aqueous medium in a known amount for transfecting cells when deposited in an individual well of the well plate, the at least one siRNA comprising:
• a sense strand having 2′-O-methyl modifications on the first and second 5′ nucleotides;
• and
• an antisense strand having a 2′-O-methyl modification on the second 5′ nucleotide and a 5′ end phosphate;
• wherein the sense region and the antisense region are capable of forming a duplex of 18-26 base pairs of nucleotides, and wherein nucleotides of the sense strand and antisense strand other than the first 5′ sense nucleotide, the second 5′ sense nucleotide, and the second 5′ antisense nucleotide include a 2′-OH;
• adding an aqueous medium to at least one of the wells having the dried gene silencing composition so as to suspend or solubilize the at least one siRNA into the aqueous medium;
• and
• adding cells to the at least one well having the suspended or solubilized at least one siRNA under conditions that permit the at least one siRNA to be introduced into the cell and to effect gene silencing.

A method of reverse transfection for introducing siRNA into a cell to effect gene silencing, the method comprising:

• providing a well plate contained in a sealed package, said well plate having a plurality of wells, each well containing a substantially dried gene silencing composition having at least one siRNA which is capable of silencing a target gene, said siRNA being capable of being solubilized or suspended in an aqueous medium in a known amount for transfecting cells when deposited in an individual well of the well plate, the at least one siRNA comprising:
• a sense strand having 2′-O-methyl modifications on the first and second 5′ nucleotides;
• and
• an antisense strand having a 2′-O-methyl modification on the second 5′ nucleotide and a 5′ end phosphate;
• wherein the sense region and the antisense region are capable of forming a duplex of 18-26 base pairs of nucleotides, and wherein nucleotides of the sense strand and antisense strand other than the first 5′ sense nucleotide, the second 5′ sense nucleotide, and the second 5′ antisense nucleotide include a 2′-OH;
• unsealing the package to expose the wells;
• adding an aqueous medium containing a cationic polynucleotide carrier compound to at least one of the wells so as to suspend or solubilize the at least one siRNA into the aqueous medium;
• and
• adding cells to the at least one well having the suspended or solubilized at least one siRNA under conditions that permit the at least one siRNA to be introduced into the cell and to effect gene silencing.