Nucleofection

Nucleofection is an electroporation-based transfection method that uses tailored electrical pulses and buffers to deliver nucleic acids into cells, including their nuclei.

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Electroporation: A technique that uses brief electric fields to increase cell-membrane permeability. Nucleofection is a specialized electroporation method with protocols designed for particular cell types.
Primary cell: A cell isolated directly from tissue rather than maintained as an established cell line. Nucleofection can deliver nucleic acids to primary cells that resist many chemical methods.
Lipofection: A transfection method that uses lipid-based carriers to deliver nucleic acids into cells. Unlike nucleofection's electrical pulses, it relies on lipid complexes to promote cellular uptake.
Cell line: A population of cultured cells descended from a common source and maintained through repeated divisions. Protocols are often optimized for particular cell lines because membrane properties and tolerance differ.
Transient transfection: Temporary expression of introduced genetic material that is not stably maintained in a cell population. Nucleofection can produce rapid transient expression when delivered nucleic acids are not integrated.
Cell membrane: A lipid bilayer that encloses a cell and regulates exchange with its surroundings. Electrical pulses transiently alter this barrier so nucleic acids can enter cells.
Stem cell: An undifferentiated cell capable of self-renewal and differentiation into specialized cell types. It is used to introduce genetic material into stem cells for research and cell engineering.
Calcium phosphate transfection: A transfection method that forms calcium-phosphate precipitates with DNA for cellular uptake. It is a chemical alternative, commonly used with certain cultured cell lines.
Plasmid: A DNA molecule that replicates independently of chromosomal DNA, commonly engineered to carry selected sequences. Plasmids are a common nucleofection cargo for transient expression or genetic modification.
Stable transfection: The persistent maintenance or integration of introduced genetic material in a cell population. Nucleofection can deliver constructs for stable modification, but delivery alone does not ensure persistence.