A technique to insert DNA into cells. The DNA is mixed with small metal particles - usually tungsten or gold - a fraction of a micrometre across. These are then fired into a cell at very high speed. They puncture the cell and carry the DNA into the cell. Biolistics has an advantage over transfection, transduction, etc., because it can apply to any cell, or indeed to parts of a cell. Thus use of biolistics has inserted DNA into animal, plant and fungal cells, and into mitochondria inside cells. a.k.a. microprojectile bombardment.

This term is derived from bio logical + bal listics.