DELIVERY OF SUBSTANCES INTO CELLS AND TISSUES USING A PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT PROCESS

Biologists commonly wish to introduce a wide range of substances into living cells. Such substances include biological stains, proteins (antibodies or enzymes), and genetic material (either RNA or DNA). The cell membrane and, in the case of plant ceils, the cell wall pose formidable barriers which exclude many macromolecules. The concept of particle bombardment has been put forward as a universal mechanism for transporting substances into any living cell. An acceleration device has been designed and constructed which can accelerate small tungsten particles (1 to 4 urn in diameter) to velocities of about 1,000 to 2,000 ft/sec. We have found that these particles can penetrate cell walls and membranes and enter cells in a nonlethal manner. Thousands of cells can be penetrated simultaneously, in situ, as they occur in tissues. Particle bombardment has been shown to be effective in delivering foreign substances into a variety of plant species, including onion, tobacco, corn, and rice. This new method of delivering macromolecules into living cells and tissues should have diverse scientific applications.