Recently, several published studies have presented evidence of substantial horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events in parasitic plants. Interestingly, the “stolen” genes from the host have been incorporated into the parasitic plants’ genomes. In this research, I'm seeking to detect genomic DNA uptake in Cuscuta from its host plant Arabidopsis, by nested polymerase chain reation (PCR), giving direct evidence of DNA transfer that has been hypothesized to facilitate HGT events.