A scientist wants to deliver a foreign gene into plant cells without relying on a bacterial vector. Which technique would be the most suitable for achieving this?
Retroviral gene delivery
Biolistics
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation
Transfection
The most suitable technique for delivering a foreign gene into plant cells without using a bacterial vector is biolistics. Biolistics involves the direct delivery of foreign DNA into plant cells using high-velocity microprojectiles coated with the gene of interest. This method bypasses the need for bacterial involvement and allows for versatile gene delivery in various plant species and cell types. Hence, the correct answer is option 2.