The utilization of antibiotic resistance genes as selectable markers is discouraged due to the risks of plasmids uptake by endogenous bacterial flora. This could lead to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant microbes. Herein, I disclose novel antibiotic resistance gene-free DNA plasmids and provide comprehensive details about the generation of exemplary strains capable of supporting their maintenance and replication. The plasmids bears the moniker “Petit Plasmids” and comprise at least a small transcription activating RNA (STAR) cassette and an origin of replication sequence.