Genetic manipulation, altering native DNA or introducing foreign/exogenous DNA into cells, has proven to be an invaluable research tool to identify and study proteins integral in basic cellular function and disease but 3T3-L1 cells do not naturally lend themselves to the transfer (transduction) of genetic material. A research team led by James DeGregori has created a line of 3T3-L1 cells that expresses a truncated version of Coxsackievirus and/or Adenovirus (tCAR). tCAR is a docking protein that is found on the outside of cells, which facilitates the internalization of adenoviruses, a common method of introducing exogenous genetic material/DNA into cells. The expression of tCAR in 3T3-L1 cells is sufficient in improving transduction efficiency via adenovirus nearly 100-fold. As a result, this technology allows for the genetic manipulation of 3T3-L1 cells, contributing to an improved understanding of adipose tissue physiology and taking researchers one step closer to treatments for obesity and its related medical conditions.