electroporation
Pronunciation: ee-lek-tro-por-AY-shun
A physical delivery method in which brief electrical pulses create transient pores in the cell membrane, allowing CRISPR components such as RNP complexes or plasmid DNA to enter the cell.
Full Definition
Electroporation applies short, high-voltage electrical pulses to a cell suspension or tissue, temporarily destabilising the lipid bilayer and creating nanoscale pores through which nucleic acids, proteins, or ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes can enter. In CRISPR workflows, electroporation is commonly used to deliver Cas9–gRNA RNPs or mRNA into primary cells (e.g., T cells, hematopoietic stem cells) that are refractory to lipid-based transfection. Editors should render it as one unhyphenated word. It is distinct from nucleofection (a proprietary electroporation-based technology by Lonza).
Usage
Usage note: One unhyphenated word. 'Nucleofection' is a trademark of Lonza and refers to a specific electroporation variant; the two should not be used interchangeably unless the manufacturer's system was explicitly used.
In Context
- "Cas9 RNP complexes were introduced into CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells via electroporation." — Methods section
- "Electroporation conditions were optimised to maximise cell viability while achieving >80% editing efficiency." — Results section