How to order

Ordering of both custom-made services and premade viral vectors from the repository has to be done through the Ordering System of the VVF.

Prior to ordering, users need to be registered. Only PIs are allowed to register themselves. Group members need to be registered by their PI.

Viral Vector Repository

AAV vectors available through our viral vector repository are considered by us to be of general interest.

If you want us to include a particular AAV vector currently not available through our viral vector repository, and we assess such an AAV vector to be of general interest (and no other restrictions apply), then you need to provide us either with an existing AAV vector plasmid that we will

• amplify and characterize
  (at reduced costs compared to a custom-made order)

or with verified DNA sequences (if not already available at the VVF) that we will

• use to construct, amplify and characterize a new AAV vector plasmid

AAV vectors available through our viral vector repository are offered as 50 microliter aliquots. Only a few AAV vectors are offered as 25 microliter aliquots (aliquot size indicated with each AAV vector).

AAV capsids of a particular AAV vector offered through our viral vector repository and currently not available will be scheduled for production once we receive an order.

Custom-made Orders

AAV vectors produced on a custom-made basis are not available through our viral vector repository because they may be confidential, only needed to address a very specific question, legally restricted or required at higher volumes.

By default, custom-made AAV vectors are offered at a final volume of 1 ml (+ 10% extra volume) and aliquoted into twenty 50 microliter aliquots (lower final volumes and different aliquot sizes possible upon request).

Custom-made AAV vectors are interesting when

• more than 0.5 ml of a particular AAV vector is needed
• highest available physical titers are needed

Custom-made orders are offered as they are, while AAV vectors available through our viral vector repository are offered at physical titers between 5 x 10E12 to 1 x 10E13 vg/ml (depending on the capsid; lowest physical titer is 1 x 10E12 vg/ml).

Registration

• PI (person responsible for paying the bills) registers
• PI initiates the registration of group members (GMs) by providing their names and an e-mail address
• group members need to finish their registration themselves

Ordering from the repository

• the repository works as a shopping cart system
• all registered users can order from the repository

Ordering of a custom-made service

• PI defines a project and adds as many of his registered GMs as required
• PI or GMs add a job request to a project
• VVF and PI/GM get in contact for a consultation
• VVF prepares and uploads an offer
• PI and GMs comment an offer if required
• PI accepts offer (the non-binding job request becomes a binding order)
• VVF initiates the production and provides status updates about the progress
• VVF completes the production
• VVF ships the goods or let them be collected
• VVF sets status of the order to completed
• VVF instructs the ETH Zurich invoice office to issue the invoice