Patent ID: 7723095

Claim:
A method for lysing cells, comprising providing a sample containing prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells or a mixture of both prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells; adding a plurality of lysing beads to said sample; lysing said cells using one method selected from the group consisting of sonication and mechanical vortex centrifugation for up to 20 minutes, thereby producing a processed biological sample; wherein at least three of the following parameters (a) through (d) are satisfied: (a) the lysing beads comprise small-diameter beads and large diameter beads, with an amount of said small-diameter beads corresponding to 50% or less than an amount of said large-diameter beads; (b) a mass of the lysing beads is from 50 to 100% of a mass of the processed biological sample; (c) the lysing step is performed for a time of from 10 to 20 minutes; (d) 7 or less non-lysing glass beads are added to said sample prior to lysing to drive the movement of the lysing beads; wherein a diameter of the smaller lysing beads is between 90 and 150 μm, and wherein a diameter of the larger lysing beads is between 400 and 600 μm.