A method of obtaining biological material, the method comprising: introducing a specimen containing the biological material into a chamber, the chamber comprising: a particulate lysing material comprising a plurality of beads; a first opening to provide fluid communication with the chamber and to receive said specimen; a second opening to provide fluid communication with the chamber from an exterior thereof; and a first filter positioned adjacent said first opening in a flow path into the chamber and a second filter positioned adjacent said second opening in a flow path out of the chamber, the first filter and the second filter having a plurality of openings sized to substantially pass the specimen to be lysed and the specimen that has been lysed respectively and to substantially block the particulate lysing material; and agitating the specimen in the chamber along with a medium that includes the particulate lysing material and a fluid to mechanically lyse the specimen, where the particulate lysing material has an affinity for the biological material in the presence of the fluid and the fluid has at least one physical characteristic that induces binding of the biological material to the particulate lysing material, the affinity sufficient to bind at least some of the biological material to at least some of the particulate lysing material in the presence of the fluid. introducing a specimen containing the biological material into a chamber, the chamber comprising: a particulate lysing material comprising a plurality of beads; a first opening to provide fluid communication with the chamber and to receive said specimen; a second opening to provide fluid communication with the chamber from an exterior thereof; and a first filter positioned adjacent said first opening in a flow path into the chamber and a second filter positioned adjacent said second opening in a flow path out of the chamber, the first filter and the second filter having a plurality of openings sized to substantially pass the specimen to be lysed and the specimen that has been lysed respectively and to substantially block the particulate lysing material; and a particulate lysing material comprising a plurality of beads; a first opening to provide fluid communication with the chamber and to receive said specimen; a second opening to provide fluid communication with the chamber from an exterior thereof; and a first filter positioned adjacent said first opening in a flow path into the chamber and a second filter positioned adjacent said second opening in a flow path out of the chamber, the first filter and the second filter having a plurality of openings sized to substantially pass the specimen to be lysed and the specimen that has been lysed respectively and to substantially block the particulate lysing material; and agitating the specimen in the chamber along with a medium that includes the particulate lysing material and a fluid to mechanically lyse the specimen, where the particulate lysing material has an affinity for the biological material in the presence of the fluid and the fluid has at least one physical characteristic that induces binding of the biological material to the particulate lysing material, the affinity sufficient to bind at least some of the biological material to at least some of the particulate lysing material in the presence of the fluid.