Use of Nanomaterials for Transient Transformation of Plants

Plant transformation (both transient and stable) has yet to become widely achievable in all plant tissues and species. Traditional methods, including particle bombardment, protoplast transformation, and Agrobacteria- mediated transformation, are slow and not applicable to every plant species. The use of nanomaterials as a means for DNA delivery is a burgeoning field, still in its infancy. This thesis describes the use of carbon- and silicon-based nanomaterials as a means for delivery of DNA and dye in plants. Specifcally, it highlights the work completed to use vertically aligned carbon nanofibers to transiently transform various plant species and organs as well as documenting the process utilized to transfer fibers from a rigid substrate to a flexible substrate and how fibers in flexible films can also be used for cargo delivery in plants. Additionally, in this thesis, I investigated the decomposition of silicon nanowires to crystalline silicon. This helps to inform what would happen to the silicon nanowires were they to be used as a nanovehicle in plant roots.