Biolistic Transformation of Yeasts

Biolistic transformation is a unique process in which DNA or RNA is introduced into cells on micron-sized particles. These microparticles are accelerated to supersonic speeds utilizing forces generated by a gunpowder discharge or cold gas explosion. This technique was first developed for transformation of plant cells (1 ). It has since been used successfully with bacteria (2 ), fungi (3 ), and mammalian cells, both in vitro (4 ) and in vivo (5 ).