Bullet Blender Beads

Description

Beads are the components that strike and grind your samples resulting in tissue homogenization and cell lysis. A variety of beads are provided suitable for a wide array of samples. The general rule of thumb is to choose larger, denser beads for tougher samples. For more information about how to select the proper bead for your application, please see Bead Use and Selection.
We also provide RNase free beads for RNA extractions, bead lysis kits consisting of sample tubes preloaded with optimized bead mixtures, and Sample Bead Packs for different types of samples. Beads are sold by the pound (0.45kg)

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Beads for the Bullet Blender®

Beads are sold by the pound (0.45 kg)

RNAse-Free Beads

Sold by the 4 mL package

Sample Packs

Sample packs come with a 10 mL tube of each type of included bead, EXCEPT the BSP-50B, which comes with 20 mL if each type of bead (in 50 mL tubes)

Bead Sample Pack for homogenizing cell cultures (BSP-CC)
Includes 0.1 mm glass, 0.15 mm ZrO2, and 0.2 mm stainless steel.

Bead Sample Pack for homogenizing tough organ tissues (BSP-OT)
Includes 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm ZrO2, 0.5 mm and 0.9 to 2.0 mm blend stainless steel.

Bead Sample Pack for homogenizing soft tissues (BSP-ST)
Includes 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm glass beads, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mm ZrSiO4, and 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mm ZrO2.

Bead Sample Pack - complete set (BSP-ALL
Includes all sixteen varieties of the beads in stock (one 10 mL tube each).

Bead Sample Pack for use with microcentrifuge tubes (BSP-MC)
Includes 0.1 mm and 1.0 mm glass; 1.0 mm ZrSiO4; 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mm ZrO2; and 0.2 mm, 0.5, 0.9-2.0 mm, & 1.6 mm stainless steel beads.

Bead Sample Pack for use with 5 mL tubes (BSP-5M)
Includes 0.1 mm and 1.0 mm glass; 1.0 mm ZrSiO4; 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mm ZrO2; and 0.2 mm, 0.5, 0.9-2.0 mm, & 1.6 mm stainless steel beads

Jumbo Bead Sample Pack for use with 50 mL centrifuge tubes (BSP-50B)
Includes 0.1 mm glass; 2.0 mm ZrSiO4; 0.15 and 2.0 mm ZrO2; and 0.2 mm, 0.9-2.0 mm & 3.2 mm stainless steel beads. 20 mL of each. Also includes one 1.2 mL sterile bead spoon.

Bead Lysis Kits

• over 100mg in microcentrifuge tubes
• over 100mg in 5 mL tubes
• over 500mg in 50 mL tubes

Using Homogenization Beads

1. Use a size of bead proportional to the size of your sample. For very small samples, such as cell culture or tiny pieces of tissue, use the smallest beads (0.2 mm or below). For large chunks of tissue, beads 1.0mm or greater may be needed (Beads larger than 1.6 mm are not recommended for microcentrifuge tubes).
2. For tougher tissue, use denser beads (e.g. zirconium oxide and stainless steel). With soft tissue you can use less dense beads (e.g. glass and zirconium silicate).
3. For isolation of organelles, use larger beads (0.5 mm or larger for cell culture, 1.0 mm or larger for tissue).
4. Use the proper ratio of bead to sample. The amount you should use is:

Protocols for various sample types have been worked out so you can spend less time optimizing your experiments and more time getting results. Please see the protocol page for more information

Bead Selection Guide

A selection of beads is provided in order to provide you with choices in your protocols and applications. Use the chart below for assistance in choosing the appropriate bead.

Bead Calculator

Since the bead amounts are based off of a mass ratio, a bead calculator table has been provided below as a simple way to know how many beads you will need to obtain a certain mass.

Useful estimation - a full scoop with a bead spatula will hold about 50 microliters of 1mm or smaller beads, and you can often approximate the appropriate amount of beads by volume by using a 2;1 sample-to-bead volume ratio. Please know that scoop size may vary with different sized beads or because of human error, and the amount of beads required may change based on the protocol. If you find that measuring by volume causes inconsistency, then go back to measuring by mass.

FAQ

Q: Can I wash and reuse the beads?

A: Yes you can! Many protocols that recommend acid washing use concentrated hydrochloric acid. This is fine for glass beads which are inert to hydrochloric acid, but it reacts with the surface of zirconium oxides generating reactive ceramic intermediates which may interfere with your experiment. We strongly advise against acid washing zirconium based beads. We also advise against acid washing stainless steel beads due to potential corrosion. Most Bullet Blender users choose to simply dispose of the beads after use since they are fairly inexpensive.

Q: How do I wash the beads?

A: Washing in standard laboratory detergent (like Alconox®), followed by rinsing with deionized water to remove detergent is sufficient. Make sure that no soapy bubbles remain before allowing the beads to dry.

Q: Are the beads RNase free?

A: Not unless specified. You can treat non-RNase clean beads with a reagent like RNAZap® or RNaseAWAY®, followed by rinsing with nuclease free/DEPC treated water. Allow the beads to air dry in an oven or at ambient temperature. Testing is required to determine the degree (or lack thereof) of nuclease activity before and after treatment. Alternatively, baking the beads at high temperature (450 °F / 232 °C) for two hours or more has been shown to inactivate RNases.

Q: Will the beads stick together when I wash them?

A: After washing, the beads may stick together upon drying. Gently shake the container with the dried beads until they flow freely.

Q: How many times can I reuse the beads?

A: You may wash and reuse the beads many times. How many uses you can get out of a batch of beads will depend on sample hardness and the speed at which you run the Bullet Blender®. Typically, you can reuse the beads about ten times. Stop reusing the beads when cracks appear or there is noticable wear, including discoloration.

Q: Do the beads need any preparation?

A: For protein or DNA applications you may autoclave the beads, otherwise they do not require additional preparation. For RNA extractions, we recommend washing the beads with RNase Zap® (Ambion, Inc.) or RNase Away® (Molecular BioProducts), then rinsing with nuclease free water, followed by autoclaving.

Q: How do I sterilize the beads?

A: They can be autoclaved on dry cycle to sterilize them. They may stick, so shake the container with the dried beads until they flow freely. Alternatively, they may be gamma irradiated or exposed to ethylene oxide. Any manipulations of the beads after sterilizing must use aseptic techniques in order to preserve the beads' sterility.

Q: Which beads are good for homogenizing which samples?

A: Check the Bead Selection Guide. The two basic rules: (1) use beads of approximately the same size as the size of your samples, to maximize the collisions between beads and samples, and (2) use denser beads for tougher samples.

Q: How do I separate beads from the homogenized sample?

A: After homogenization, spin your tubes in a centrifuge for a few seconds. The beads will pool at the bottom of the tube. Remove the homogenate with a pipette and dispense in a fresh tube.