What is the process of bacterial transformation?

The process of bacterial transformation involves several steps: (1) Preparing competent cells to make the bacterial membrane permeable to DNA, (2) Mixing the foreign DNA (e.g., plasmid) with the competent cells, (3) Facilitating DNA uptake through heat shock or electroporation, (4) Allowing the cells to recover in a nutrient-rich medium, and (5) Selecting transformed cells using markers like antibiotic resistance to confirm successful DNA uptake and expression.