Systems for Mechanical Sample Lysis and Homogenization for Molecular Biology Applications

Abstract

To better understand the molecular basis of biological activity numerous techniques are employed to analyze internal cellular components. Studies targeted at the analysis of proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules typically start with a mechanical homogenization step to liberate the analytes of interest prior to downstream processes. As there are many types of mechanical homogenizers, selecting the appropriate technology for the target application can be challenging. This chapter organizes mechanical homogenizers into categories based on the primary mode of sample disruption and describes the advantages of each technology with regards to popular molecular biology experimental workflows. The information presented in the following pages is intended to serve as a general introduction to mechanical homogenizer technologies for a broad community of scientists.