Fat or Adipose Tissue
Bullet Blender® homogenization protocol

  • Extract molecules (DNA, RNA, protein, chemicals)
  • Wet final product
  • Sample sizes: 100 to 3500 mg.

Notes on the protocol: This protocol does not specify a particular buffer - you may choose which is most appropriate for your downstream application (nucleic acid isolation, protein extraction, etc.).

Materials Required

uL

One of these Bullet Blenders

  • Bullet Blender 50-DX (BB50-DX)
  • Bullet Blender 50 Gold (BB50-AU)

Reagents

Homogenization buffer
2 x volume of sample
PBS (optional)
2 x volume of sample

Bead choices

  • 3.2 mm stainless steel beads (SSB32) Use a volume of beads equivalent to 1 x the volume of the sample
  • 4.8 mm stainless steel beads (SSB48) Use a volume of beads equivalent to 1 x the volume of the sample

Procedure

  1. Cut the sample into appropriately sized pieces. For larger samples, we recommend cutting the material into long, thin strips for faster homogenization.
  2. (Optional) Wash the sample 3x with 1/2 tube volume of PBS to remove surface contaminants.
  3. Place the sample in the tube with the beads.
  4. Add a volume of buffer that is twice the volume of the sample. Sample volume may be approximated by sample weight. E.g., for a 100 mg. sample, add 0.2 ml. buffer.
  5. Close the tubes tightly and place them in the Bullet Blender.
  6. Set the controls for Speed 10 and Time 9. Press Start.
  7. After the run, remove the tubes from the instrument and visually inspect the samples. If homogenization is incomplete, repeat the homogenization step at a higher speed.
  8. Proceed with your downstream application.