Method for Preparation and Electroporation of S. aureus and S. epidermidis

For bacterial species that are not known to be naturally competent, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, electroporation is an efficient method for introducing genetic material into the cell. The technique utilizes electrical pulses to transiently permeabilize bacterial cell membranes, which allows for the passage of plasmid DNA across the membranes. Here, we describe methods for preparing electrocompetent S. aureus and S. epidermidis cells and outline a procedure for electroporation of the prepared competent cells.