dam-/dcm- chemically competent cells are an ideal host to generate plasmid DNA lacking in dam and dcm methylation. The absence of dam and dcm methylases in this strain prevents methylation at GATC and CC(A/T)GG sites. Plasmid DNA propagated and purified from this host can be digested by the many restriction enzymes otherwise inhibited by dam or dcm methylation. pUC19 DNA is also provided as a positive control. The transformation efficiency of the dam-/dcm- Chemically Competent Cells is 107 cfu/µg of pUC19.