Microcentrifuge tubes filled with beads or small balls are widely used to bead beat microorganisms and small tissue samples. These disruption tubes are manufactured by OPS Diagnostics as a ready-to-use product and are available in multiple configurations. Using OPS Diagnostics’ acid washed, low binding, and molecular biology grade grinding beads, disruption tubes with measured amounts of grinding media minimize preparation by researchers. Several mixed mode configurations use different bead sizes in order to homogenize the sample at different levels, i.e., large beads to disrupt tissue and smaller beads to break open bacteria within a sample. The three categories of disruption tubes are as follows:
Acid Washed Pre-Filled Tubes
Like those sold in bulk, these beads have been washed with acid to remove detrimental contaminants that are found in raw beads. Zirconium beads are offered in the following diameters: 100 µm, 200 µm, 400 µm, 800 µm, 1.0 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.7 mm or 3.0 mm. Acid washed zirconium beads with both 800 µm and 1.4 mm diameters are also for sale. Disruption tubes with acid washed silica beads can be purchased in 100 µm, 400 µm, or 800 µm diameters. Additionally, OPS Diagnostics offers mixed media tubes with more than one type of grinding media, available with the following specifications. We have a disruption tube with 500 µm garnet and a 6 mm zirconium satellite as well as a disruption tube with 100 µm silica, 1.4 mm Zr and a 4 mm silica bead. Lastly, there is a disruption tube with 2.8 mm acid washed stainless steel grinding balls. The grinding media in these pre-filled tubes have been washed with diluted acid to remove potentially detrimental contaminants.
Molecular Biology Grade Pre-Filled Tubes
The grinding media in these tubes are acid washed prior to undergoing further processing and aseptic packaging. They are certified nucleic acid, DNase, RNase and protease-free. Zirconium Molecular Biology Grade beads diameters of 100 µm, 200 µm, 400 µm, 800 µm, 1.0 mm or 1.4 mm are offered as pre-filled tubes; silica Molecular Biology Grade beads in pre-filled tubes have diameters of 100 µm, 400 µm or 800 µm are available in pre-filled tubes.
Low Binding Pre-Filled Tubes
Disruption tubes with low binding beads contain media that undergoes a proprietary process that minimizes non-specific adsorption of molecules to the bead surface following homogenization. Zirconium Low Binding grinding beads 100 µm, 200 µm, 400 µm, 800 µm and 1.4 mm in diameter as well as silica Low Binding grinding beads 100 µm, 400 µm and 800 µm in diameter are available as pre-filled tubes.
