Biolistic transformation is one of two popular methods for introducing genes into sugarcane. However, unlike Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, the efficiency of gene transfer into sugarcane cells, using the biolistic method is very high. In addition to this, the biolistic transformation method is independent of the explant genotype or tissue. It also has the advantage that a minimum DNA sequence of linearized plasmid can be used, thus eliminating the introduction of undesirable plasmid derived genes, delivering low-copy transgenic events. In this chapter, we describe the method for efficient delivery of genes into sugarcane cells using a biolistic approach.
Keywords: Biolistics; Gene delivery; Plasmids; Selectable marker; Sugarcane; Transformation.