Cultivarium Introduces POSSUM Toolkit For Rapid Plasmid Identification At Scale

(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) New Assay Saves Time, Reduces Switching Costs and Drives Certainty By Quickly Finding Reliable Plasmids that Work in Non-Model Microbes

Watertown, MA, Aug. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cultivarium , a non-profit bioengineering firm that helps pioneering labs harness the extraordinary power of the microbial universe, today announced the launch of its POSSUM assay toolkit , an open-access molecular tool designed to rapidly test and identify functional plasmids for non-model microbes. Unlike traditional lab workflows, where scientists must test plasmids one by one, the POSSUM (Plasmid Origins and Selectable Markers for Undomesticated Microbes) toolkit leverages a comprehensive library of different plasmids, which are delivered to a microbe all at once in a single sample. Through trackable DNA sequencing, POSSUM then identifies which plasmids work in any microbe, saving significant time, money and labor.
“We are on a mission to explore the biological universe at scale,” said Henry Lee, CEO and co-founder of Cultivarium.“To do this, we are starting by building the tools needed to make working with non-model microbes more accessible, and POSSUM is a foundational piece of our plan. It not only broadens our biological knowledge, but it also builds confidence in knowing exactly which genetic parts will work in an organism – unlocking the potential of millions of microbes we haven't been able to take advantage of yet.
When working with non-model microbes, determining which plasmids are effective and how to introduce DNA into the cell can be challenging and costly. Most scientists typically use a few plasmids, and they want to know which of them works when switching from an established organism, like E. coli, to a new host. Using POSSUM, a single combinatorial experiment exhaustively tests every possibility by combining:

• 20 antibiotic selection markers - choose the right antibiotic for your microbe or use multiple antibiotic markers.
• 22 different origins of replication (ORIs) - all delivered as a single sample into the target microbe.
• No colony picking necessary - use DNA sequencing to quickly identify functional plasmids.

To demonstrate its approach, Cultivarium recently applied its POSSUM assay to Vibrio natriegens, the fastest free-living organism known to date. In what would previously have taken months, Cultivarium scientists demonstrated systematic and comprehensive testing of 414 parts and protocols in two strains in just two weeks. They identified origins-of-replication and antibiotic selection conditions in both a wild-type strain (ATCC #14048 ) and a commercial genetically modified cloning strain (NovelBio's NBx CyCloneTM ).
The POSSUM toolkit has now been successfully use with multiple DNA delivery methods, including chemical competency, conjugation, and electroporation to identify plasmids across a large number of bacterial species, including extremophiles, electroactive bacteria and bioproduction strains. For hosts that previously lacked genetic parts (such as Halomonas alkaliphila and Shewanella electrodiphila), the POSSUM toolkit provides foundational data and resources for continued research and development. The toolkit is designed and constructed to be compatible with Golden Gate assembly, which makes adding new genetic parts scalable and straightforward.
The POSSUM assay is available to the scientific community via Addgene . To learn more about how the POSSUM toolkit can significantly accelerate research in non-model microbes, please visit:

About Cultivarium

Cultivarium is a bioengineering firm that helps pioneering labs harness the extraordinary power of the microbial universe in record time. Proudly based in Boston, MA, we are working tirelessly to catalyze a flourishing bioeconomy that heals our people and planet. To learn more, please visit:

CONTACT: Heather Stafford Cultivarium 443-848-8617 ...

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