1 2 3 4 5

		This basic protocol is concerned with the application of GFP as an indicator of transfection in chicken embryos. Lipofectin® Reagent (Life Technologies, catalog no. 18292-011) will be used in an attempt to transfect 2-3 day chicken embryos with a GFP retovirus. This patented lipid reagent binds DNA to form a complex which binds cells and allows for the subsequent uptake and expression of DNA. Although this reagent has been used to transfect individual cell types (fibroblast and blastocyst) of the chicken embryo, it has not been used for entire embryo transfections. Successful DNA uptake will be visualized as fluorescent green granules when the embryo is observed under a fluorescent microscope. More advanced GFP techniques, such as using GFP as a gene reporter in chicken embryos, may be employed using a variation of this protocol once it is evident that this basic transfection procedure is suitable.