Guide to the Homogenization of Biological Samples

Many tools are available for the homogenization of samples. These homogenizers can be generally grouped into those that grind, shear, beat, and shock, though many disruption processes rely on more than one type of force. When developing a disruption scheme, it is critical to define the characteristics of the homogenate and then select the tools that will help to meet the objectives. The examination of methods used to homogenize samples has shown that effectiveness is directly related to the nature of the sample. Samples that start with small particles, such as bacterial cultures, are most effectively disrupted by ultrasonication, but that same method is the poorest for solid muscle. In such cases, samples must be first disaggregated into smaller particles prior to processing. Methods which rely on a single processing step, such as with the high throughput homogenizers, can yield very good sample disruption, but they do not match two-step processes that breakdown samples in a series of steps. The need to process large numbers of samples requires a trade-off with level of effective homogenization.