Become a BeatBox^® Wizard!

Effective protein extraction from cells and tissue samples is a critical prerequisite for the success of proteomic research and is achieved through cell lysis and tissue homogenization techniques. During cell lysis, the plasma membrane and sometimes the cell wall (e.g., in yeast cells), as well as intracellular structures, are broken down to enable extraction of the intracellular content. Tissue homogenization additionally requires the disruption of the extracellular tissue structures. The released proteome provides phenotypic information and is amenable to downstream analytical techniques, such as LC-MS, in order to identify biomarkers or understand cellular pathways.

LC-MS-based proteomics, particularly, requires efficient and thoroughly homogenized samples to achieve high protein yields for sensitive and quantitative analysis combined with deep proteome coverage. At the same time, keeping protein integrity is essential, as harsh conditions can lead to protein degradation, hindering LC-MS analysis and data interpretation. Furthermore, standardization, reproducibility, and parallelization are key for processing large numbers of samples in high-throughput environments.

The BeatBox® is a fast and easy solution for cell lysis and tissue homogenization that addresses the typical challenges discussed above. It allows efficient homogenization of up to 96 samples in only 10 minutes, provides reproducible protein extraction, and prevents protein degradation due to minimum heat induction. Find out how by watching the videos below.

With BeatBox®, you can process a wide range of samples, from soft and hard tissues to different cell types. Join us in the upcoming chapters to learn about what to consider when working with different sample types. Next week’s topic: fresh-frozen mammalian tissue.