Efficient lentivirus concentration using a tabletop centrifuge

BACKGROUND: Efficient virus concentration is a crucial prerequisite for many research applications including gene delivery using lentiviral vectors, antiviral drug screening, and studies of viral infection mechanisms. Typically, concentration methods involve the pelleting of viral particles and their resuspension in a defined medium to allow precise experimental control over the viral titer and media composition. However, commonly used techniques, such as ultracentrifugation, PEG precipitation or density gradient centrifugation, while effective, are limited by their fairly high cost, significant processing times, and limited availability. RESULTS: Our study demonstrates that virus concentration using a tabletop centrifuge at 16,100 g yields higher virus titers and allows superior infection efficiencies compared to PEG precipitation-based methods. Furthermore, we optimized the protocol by reducing the centrifugation time to as little as 15 min, while maintaining effective virus enrichment. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that a rapid 15-minute centrifugation using a tabletop centrifuge is sufficient for robust virus concentration. This streamlined approach enhances viral titers, enables efficient medium exchange, and offers a cost-effective and accessible alternative to conventional protocol, particularly valuable in high-biosafety-level laboratories where access to specialized equipment such as ultracentrifuges is often constrained.