This research project seeks to find an efficient means of gene therapy using microbubbles as vehicles that traverse the bloodstream. Microbubbles are used as targeted transport vesicles with Luciferase Plasmids attached to the bubble's surface. When the targeted microbubbles become anchored to the specific receptors on the endothelial cells of the Chinese hamster ovaries (CHO), the DNA is transferred into the CHO endothelial cells. The long-term goal of the research is to develop successful gene therapy treatment for human patients.

To this end, microbubbles are created from a solution of albumen in PBS, through the use of a sonicator. Currently, research is targeting the use of the fixative gluteraldehyde for the study of strengthening the life-span of the microbubbles for more effective drug delivery. The proportion of constituents in solution, method of sonication, amount of fixative used, and type of fixative used will be varied in this study. Once microbubble synthesis and addition of a fixative are controlled, the effectiveness of microbubble adhesion and gene-transfer to the receptors and cells of CHO will be studied.