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Addgene

Our Mission

Accelerate research and discovery by improving access to useful research materials and information.

Our Services

Deposit

Deposit your plasmids with Addgene and we will handle storage, distribution, and record-keeping.

Addgene is a global, nonprofit repository that was created to help scientists share plasmids. Plasmids are DNA-based research reagents commonly used in the life sciences. When scientists publish research papers, they deposit their associated plasmids at Addgene. Then, when other scientists read the publication, they have easy access to the plasmids needed to conduct future experiments. Before Addgene, scientists were tasked with repeatedly shipping plasmids to each new requesting scientist. Now, scientists ship their plasmids to Addgene once, and we take care of the quality control, MTA compliance, shipping, and record-keeping.

Request

Request plasmids and ready-to use viral preparations from our vast online collection.

For scientists looking to use plasmids, Addgene provides a searchable database of high-quality plasmids, pooled libraries, and plasmid kits, available at affordable prices. All plasmids in Addgene’s repository are sequenced for quality control purposes and tracked with barcodes from the time they arrive at our facility until they are packed for shipment. Scientists can request plasmids through Addgene’s online ordering system. As of 2016, Addgene also provides ready-to-use AAV and lentivirus preparations of commonly requested plasmids as a service to scientists.

Learn

Learn something new from our educational resources, e-books, and blog.

Addgene is also building a variety of educational resources, including protocols, blog posts, and eBooks. Our Plasmids 101 and CRISPR 101 blog series were designed to help scientists of all levels learn more about molecular biology, cloning, genome engineering, and more. Addgene’s technical support team also provides scientists with real-time plasmid troubleshooting - whether it’s a question about mutations in a plasmid sequence or help selecting the best plasmid for an experiment. By providing these services, Addgene’s goal is to create a lasting resource for research and discovery around the world.

Our Story

  • Addgene Founded

    January 2004

    Addgene was founded on January 8, 2004 by Melina Fan, Kenneth Fan, and Benjie Chen.

    After frustrations around plasmid sharing during grad school, Melina teamed up with her brother Ken and husband Benjie to start Addgene, a nonprofit plasmid repository. The founders hoped that the repository would make it easy for scientists to share materials and thereby accelerate research.

  • First Plasmid Requested

    September 2004

    On September 8, 2004, the first request for a plasmid, pcDNA-p160MBP, was made from Addgene.

    Now a red flame plasmid, pcDNA-p160MBP from Bruce Spiegelman’s lab can be used to express the p160 myb binding protein in mammalian cells.

  • First Kit Requested

    March 2005

    On March 9, 2005, the first request for a kit, the Fire lab C. Elegans Kit, was made from Addgene.

    The Fire lab kit, which is still widely requested today, provides researchers with a wide variety of plasmid tools that they can use to accelerate their C. elegans research.

  • 10,000 Plasmids Available

    January 2010

    On January 6, 2010, Addgene's repository reached the 10,000 plasmid milestone.

  • 1,000 Depositing Scientists

    December 2011

    On December 19, 2011, Addgene's community of depositing scientists reached 1,000 members.

    Although it took 7 years to reach this 1,000 depositor benchmark, Addgene continued to grow rapidly in the years that followed. As of June 2017, there are over 3,000 depositors who rely on Addgene to distribute their materials efficiently.

  • First CRISPR Plasmids Deposited

    September 2012

    CRISPR is making it easier than ever for biologists studying organisms of all kinds to make precise genomic changes.

    The developers of this amazing new technology have been incredibly supportive of open sharing and have distributed CRISPR tools through Addgene since CRISPR’s debut. This mindset has facilitated CRISPR’s rapid adoption. As of July 2017, over 95,000 CRISPR plasmids and pooled libraries have been requested through Addgene.

  • Mass. Nonprofit Network Excellence Award

    June 2013

    Addgene wins the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network Excellence Award for our electronic MTA system.

    Addgene's electronic MTA system streamlines the legal approval process involved in plasmid sharing. Legal agreements that used to take months to get approval can now be approved almost instantly. As a result, most Addgene customers receive their plasmids within a week of placing their order.

  • Addgene's UK Branch Opens

    June 2014

    On June 4, 2014, in partnership with LGC Standards, Addgene opened a satellite office in Teddington, UK.

    The goal of this new UK office was to better serve our international customers. As of 2013, over 50% of Addgene orders were international. Having office hours 9am-5pm GMT, the UK office enables Addgene to better serve and engage with customers from around the globe.

  • Davidson Collection Deposited

    July 2014

    With over 3,300 plasmids, the Michael Davidson Fluorescent Protein Collection was Addgene's largest deposit to date.

    The Davidson FP deposit includes a comprehensive collection of ORFs tagged with a variety of fluorescent proteins, as well as 295 empty backbones.

  • 500,000 Plasmids Distributed

    March 2015

    As of March 20, 2015, Addgene has distributed 500,000 plasmids to researchers around the globe.

    This half-million milestone highlights the major impact that Addgene's plasmid repository has had on the research community in the last decade. We continue to strive to fulfill our mission of facilitating material sharing for scientists.

  • Blog Views Reach 50,000 per Month

    February 2016

    The Addgene blog was started in 2013 with the goal of making it easier for members of the Addgene community to share scientific information, learn how to use the latest plasmid technologies, and get tips for career development.

    With consistent content, frequent updating, and writers from all over the world, the blog continues to grow rapidly and is now a valuable educational resource to biology researchers of all levels. Subscribe or sign up to write with us to help expand this fantastic resource.

  • Inaugural Blue Flame Awards

    June 2016

    The Blue Flame Award serves to congratulate researchers who have at least one plasmid deposited at Addgene that has been distributed more than 100 times.

    We’re proud to honor the creativity, passion, and dedication to sharing epitomized by the creators of these plasmids with the Blue Flame Awards. View the full list of Addgene’s Blue Flame Awardees here.

  • Viral Service Launched

    July 2016

    On July 14, 2016, Addgene began distributing ready-to-use viral preparations for popular plasmids in our repository.

    Many researchers perform the arduous task of producing virus using plasmids from Addgene. To expedite this process and make scientists' lives easier, Addgene has begun producing ready-to-use viral preparations from some of our most popular lentiviral and AAV vectors. Addgene hopes that this new service will further accelerate research for scientists worldwide.

  • 50,000 Plasmids Available

    September 2016

    As of September 20, 2016, Addgene has 50,000 unique plasmids available through our online repository.

    While Addgene started with plasmids that were primarily used in mammalian work, the repository has expanded greatly and now includes many different collections with tools that can be used in flies, frogs, bacteria, and much more!

    Addgene is proud to be a trusted resource for thousands of scientists worldwide who rely on access to a large variety of plasmids, thorough quality control, fast shipment, and useful educational resources.

  • CRISPR 101 eBook Downloaded 20,000x

    May 2017

    We set out to create a consolidated CRISPR educational resource that budding genome engineers could use to get their experiments started. The result was the CRISPR 101 eBook.

    As one of our most widely distributed plasmid technologies, CRISPR generates many thoughtful questions for our Addgene scientists and our CRISPR blog posts are always among our most popular. From the basic biology of CRISPR to therapeutic applications, the CRISPR 101 eBook introduces readers to the many research possibilities enabled by CRISPR. Get your own free copy here.

  • 1,000 Viral Orders Shipped

    June 2017

    As of June 19, 2017, Addgene has distributed 1,000 ready-to-use viral preparations of plasmids to researchers around the globe.

Our Nonprofit

Addgene is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Fees collected from plasmid requests are used to support the operation of the repository. Charitable contributions are tax deductible. Please contact Addgene at [email protected] if you would like to make a contribution.