Creation of Transgenic Lines Using Microparticle Bombardment Methods

Introduction of exogenous DNA into Caenorhabditis elegans is important for examining the expression of altered or reporter gene constructs, rescuing mutant genes, and studying gene function in vivo. Until recently, germ-line injection was the most commonly used method for transforming C. elegans strains. This chapter describes four different microparticle bombardment methods used to transform C. elegans with exogenous DNA. We include a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of using micro-particle bombardment for transformation, list cotransformation markers that have been used successfully in microparticle bombardment experiments, and discuss transformation efficiency.