FACTORS AFFECTING THE GENETIC-ENGINEERING OF PLANTS BY MICROPROJECTILE BOMBARDMENT

Since its development in the mid-1980s, microprojectile bombardment ha s been widely employed as a method for direct gene transfer into a wid e range of plants, including the previously difficult-to-transform mon ocotyledonous species. Although the numerous instruments available for microprojectile-mediated gene delivery and their applications have be en widely discussed, less attention has been paid to the critical fact ors which affect the efficiency of this method of gene delivery. In th is review we do not wish to describe the array of devices used for mic roprojectile delivery or their uses which have already been definitive ly described, but instead wish to report on research developments inve stigating the factors which affect microprojectile-mediated transforma tion of plants.