A galinstan expansion femtosyringe for microinjection of eukaryotic organelles and prokaryotes

Nat Biotechnol. 1999 Sep;17(9):906-9. doi: 10.1038/12902.

Abstract

A galinstan expansion femtosyringe enables femtoliter to attoliter samples to be introduced into prokaryotes and subcellular compartments of eukaryotes. The method uses heat-induced expansion of galinstan (a liquid metal alloy of gallium, indium, and tin) within a glass syringe to expel samples through a tip diameter of about 0.1 microm. The narrow tip inflicts less damage than conventional capillaries, and the heat-induced expansion of the galinstan allows fine control over the rate of injection. We demonstrate injection of Lucifer Yellow and Lucifer Yellow-dextran conjugates into cyanobacteria, and into nuclei and chloroplasts of higher organisms. Injection of a plasmid containing the bla gene into the cyanobacterium Phormidium laminosum resulted in transformed ampicillin-resistant cultures. Green fluorescent protein was expressed in attached leaves of tobacco and Vicia faba following injection of DNA containing its gene into individual chloroplasts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alloys
  • Animals
  • Chloroplasts
  • Cyanobacteria
  • Eukaryotic Cells
  • Fabaceae
  • Gallium
  • Genetic Techniques*
  • Indium
  • Metals, Heavy
  • Microinjections / instrumentation*
  • Organelles
  • Plants, Medicinal
  • Prokaryotic Cells
  • Syringes*
  • Tin
  • Transformation, Genetic*
  • Xenopus

Substances

  • Alloys
  • Metals, Heavy
  • galinstan
  • Indium
  • Tin
  • Gallium