Bullet Blender Beads

Overview	Bead Use and Selection	FAQ	Protocols

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 (0.2mm or below). For large chunks of tissue, beads 1.0mm or greater may be needed (Beads larger than 1.6mm 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 (0.5mm or larger for cell culture, 1.0mm or larger for tissue).
4. Use the proper ratio of bead to sample. The amount you should use is:

Bead	Mass Ratio* (sample-to-bead)
Glass	1:1
Zirconium Silicate	1:1.5
Zirconium Oxide	1:2
Stainless Steel	1:3

*For all bead types, this works out roughly 50µL of beads per 100g of sample

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.

Bead Material	Known Density (g/mL)	Observed Irregularly Packed Density (g/mL)	Weight of 100µl of beads (mg)
Glass	2.5	1.5	150
Zirconium Silicate	3.8	2.5	250
Zirconium Oxide	5.5	3.8	380
Stainless Steel	7.9	4.5	450

*Note - All information is provided as reference. Actual observed densities will vary based on packing efficiency in your container.

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