*A helper strain, carrying a conjugative plasmid (such as the F-plasmid) that codes for genes required for conjugation and DNA transfer.
*A donor strain, carrying a mobilizable plasmid that can utilize the transfer functions of the conjugative plasmid.
*A recipient strain, you wish to introduce the mobilizable plasmid into.
Five to seven days are required to determine if the 
plasmid was successfully introduced into the new bacterial 
strain and confirm that there is no carryover of the helper or 
donor strain.
In contrast, electroporation does not require a helper or 
donor strain. This helps 
avoid possible contamination with other strains. The introduction
of the plasmid can be verified in the recipient 
strain in two days, making electroporation a faster and 
more efficient method of transformation. Electroporation however does not work with all bacteria and is mostly limited to well-characterized model organisms.