Mini-Beadbeater-Plus

The new Mini-Beadbeater-Plus™ is a high-energy bead-mill designed to violently agitate up to a half-gram sample of biological material sealed inside a 2 ml screw-cap microvial containing tiny glass, zirconia, or steel lysing beads. The grinding action of the beads (beadbeating) rapidly disrupts microorganisms and plant and animal tissue in 5-90 seconds.

Because the cell disruption occurs inside sealed, disposable microvials, sample cross-contamination during homogenization is completely eliminated -- an important feature for nucleic acid isolation.  The sterile technique easily accommodates the recovery of intracellular viruses and bacteria from plant and animal tissues. During homogenization, foaming and aerosol formation is minimal -- conditions ideal for the recovery of functional enzymes, membranes, and intracellular organelles.

The Mini-Beadbeater-Plus is also used for dry- or cryo-grinding.  Heavier zirconia or steel beads and special breakage-resistant microvials are used.  Hard samples such as hair, bone, teeth, seeds, and minerals are powdered in 5 - 30 seconds.  All protocols developed with the Mini-Beadbeater-Plus are transferable to larger, higher-capacity Mini-Beadbeater models with little, if any modification. 

LITERATURE REFERENCES:  Selected Applications Using the Mini-Beadbeater.