Definition of biolistics in English:
 biolistics
plural noun bʌɪə(ʊ)ˈlɪstɪks
treated as singular A technique in genetic engineering in which tiny metal pellets coated with DNA are propelled into living cells at high velocities.
 Example sentencesExamples
-  As microinjection and biolistics definitely transfer DNA into walled plant cells, micro laser offers advantages in very specific cases in which those techniques are not applicable.
 -  Over-expression of introduced genes is a problem with some methods, such as biolistics, which is shooting gene preparations into plant tissue with tiny projectiles.
 -  Using biolistics, transgenic corn and soybean plants have been produced that contain heritable copies of the inserted gene.
 -  Previous reports have shown that biolistics can be used to transfer genes to chickens in ovo.
 -  This is sometimes called ‘biolistics’ - a cross between biology and ballistics.
 -  Immature embryos were transformed with these vectors by biolistics.
 -  Small metal particles encapsulated by carbon shells have also been shown to be candidates for biolistics.
 -  The cartoon on the left depicts a schematic of the biolistics process and the image on the right is a montage of neurons in cortical slice transfected by biolistics and immunostained.
 -  It makes use of biolistics technology, where tiny particles are injected through cell walls by a high-powered gun.
 
Derivatives
  
adjective 
 Besides allowing the permanent transformation of many important, and formerly recalcitrant, agronomic species, the biolistic method has become very common in transient expression studies.
 Example sentencesExamples
-  Particle coating and bombardment conditions were carried out basically as described previously, with a biolistic helium gun device.
 -  Coating of the gold particles and biolistic transformation were carried out by a method improved for high reproducibility as described.
 -  The strain was transformed using biolistic techniques.
 -  Leaves of pepper, potato, tomato, Arabidopsis, and maize were subjected to biolistic transient transformation with various DNA constructs and were subsequently histochemically stained to visualize GUS activity.
 
Origin
  
1980s: apparently from bio- and ballistics.