How to Get New Genes Into a Cell
A teeny device for fundamental genetics
By Geoffrey Giller
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To insert genes into a cell, scientists often prick it with a tiny glass pipette and inject a solution with the new DNA. The extra liquid and the pipette itself, however, can destroy it: only half of cells that undergo this procedure survive. In place of a pipette, scientists at Brigham Young University have developed a silicon lance. They apply a positive charge to the lance so that the negative-charged DNA sticks. When the device enters a cell, the charge is reversed and the DNA is set free. In the study, 72 percent of nearly 3,000 mouse egg cells survived.
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