Bacterial Lysis

Bacterial cell lysis is a crucial unit operation in biomolecular analysis. Ultrasonic treatment is an efficient method that can be used to break up cells, bacteria, spores and small pieces of tissue. The mechanical energy created from an ultrasonic homogenizer’s probe creates microscopic vapor bubbles that briefly form and then collapse. This results in shock waves traveling through the sample, ultimately breaking the cell apart. To avoid overheating, the ultrasonic treatment is applied in multiple short intervals to a sample that is kept in an ice bath. It is worth noting that this method of bacterial lysis is most effective for small volumes of liquid (less than 100 mL).

At Qsonica, we offer a wide variety of Sonicators that are reliable, powerful, and proven. When you need a trustworthy instrument for bacterial lysis, do what tens of thousands of scientists have done for half a century: rely on a Sonicator.

Product applications

• Molecular diagnostics of pathogens
• Immunoassays for point of care diagnostics
• Cancer diagnostics
• Drug screening
• Bacterial genomics / transcriptomics / proteomics / metabolomics
• Downstream assays

Tips & Info for Bacterial Lysis

• The amplitude and time needed to achieve a very high percentage of bacterial lysis will depend primarily on the presence and nature of a cell wall. Bacteria without a cell wall will be the easiest to homogenize, followed by gram negative bacteria. Gram positive bacteria will be the most difficult to process, requiring the highest amplitude and / or longer processing times.
• Smaller bacteria will be more difficult to lyse whereas larger bacteria will be easier to lyse. This should be considered when designing protocols.
• Do not over-homogenize! Running for longer than necessary may degrade RNA, denature proteins, and shear DNA.
• For general best practices, see Best Practices for Ultrasonic Homogenization.

Frequently Asked Questions

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