How to transform bacteria with recombinant plasmid?

To transform bacteria with a recombinant plasmid, the following steps are typically followed: 1) Prepare competent bacterial cells using a chemical (e.g., calcium chloride) or physical (e.g., electroporation) method. 2) Mix the plasmid DNA with the competent cells. 3) Expose the mixture to a heat shock or electroporation to facilitate DNA uptake. 4) Allow the cells to recover in a suitable medium. 5) Plate the cells on selective media containing an antibiotic or other marker to identify successful transformants.