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Particle bombardment is a technique that introduces foreign DNA into cells using a ‘gene gun’. Heavy metal particles are used to breach the cell wall and inject customized DNA. It was first used in transgenic crop development and requires finesse to minimize cell damage and ensure appropriate DNA is used.
Particle bombardment is a technique that can be used to introduce foreign DNA into a cell culture. There are several particle bombardment methods available, most of which involve the use of a ‘gene gun’, a device designed to deliver particles into a cell culture reliably and efficiently. This technique is used in laboratories around the world for research and development purposes, using specialized equipment, some of which is customized for specific applications.
In particle bombardment, particles, often heavy metals, are used to breach the cell wall. If the particles are coated with DNA, foreign DNA will be introduced into the cell through breaks in the cell wall. If cell walls are suspended in a DNA solution, some will be picked up by the particles as they move through the solution, forcing the DNA into the cell. In both cases, the foreign DNA that has been customized for the research organism is essentially injected into the cells.
The first uses of particle bombardment were in the development of transgenic crops. Using this technique, researchers could do things like introduce herbicide resistance genes into cell cultures that would then be used to develop the crops. Other genetic modifications could also be introduced. Gradually, the technique’s use extended to cultures of bacteria and animal cells, as researchers perfected particle bombardment.
This technique requires a certain finesse on the part of the technician who performs it. Parcels must be carefully selected and delivered in a controlled manner. The goal is to introduce particles with minimal damage to cells, so they can recover after particle bombardment and continue to grow and divide. If the cells are too damaged, they will die. On the other hand, if the particle bombardment is not fully delivered, some of the cells in a culture will not take up the foreign DNA.
Researchers also need to make sure they are introducing the appropriate DNA into their target cell culture. If the inserted DNA strands are not well adapted to the organism, particle bombardment can fail because they cannot be integrated into the organism or because errors occur. This requires knowledge of genetics and a familiarity with the genome of the organism being studied to confirm that the DNA will end up where it should and that it will work as researchers intended.
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