BioPulverizer
Operating Instructions for the BioPulverizer
General
The BioPulverizer reduces tissue frozen to liquid nitrogen or dry-ice temperatures to a course powder. The method is especially useful for tough tissue such as skin, cartilage, and cornea. Cryo-fracturing with the BioPulverizer is a preliminary step for cell disruption. Final disruption of the cells is accomplished using mechanical disrupters and/or aggressive extraction solutions (see homogenizer review at www.biospec.com).
Operating Instructions
1) Place the BioPulverizer (BP) in the insulated container provided and thoroughly chill it with liquid nitrogen or, second best, crushed dry-ice. Stainless steel is slow to cool down and later, slow to warm up. Add liq N2 to the stainless steel parts until liq. N2 no longer flashes off vapor and some lingers on the stainless steel.
2) Add pre-frozen (-80 deg C or lower) tissue to the well of the mortar. Fresh tissue sticks to the cold BP on contact and cannot be inserted into the well. For the model 59012N and 59013N, insert the inner sleeve of the mortar in the mortar cup, capturing the tissue in inner hole of the sleeve.
3) Remove the BP from the insulated container and place it on the lab bench. There will be ample time to work with the chilled BP. Insert the chilled pestle into the well of the mortar, patterned end first, and deliver one to three sharp blows to the pestle using a hammer. Rotate the pestle slightly between blows.
IMPORTANT! Powdered tissue has a “dry” appearance and can be poured into a test tube or plastic weighboat containing extraction solution. Pulverized tissue thaws quickly when exposed to room temperature, so work quickly or you will have a sticky mess.