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Spherical lead free soda lime glass beads are commonly used for mechanical disruption of bacteria. Glass beads of a pre-determined size and volume are placed in a 1.5ml or 2.0ml microtube along with a pre-determined sample amount. The closed tube is then shaken vigorously at high speed, causing collisions between the glass beads and sample material. Scientific Industries Disruptor Genie and TurboMix attachment for the Vortex-Genie 2 family of mixers are excellent choices for this process as they both simultaneously agitate and vortex at high speed, dramatically increasing cell or sample disruption. Each can hold up to twelve 1.5 ml or 2.0 ml microtubes at once. The disrupted cells may be removed after shaking for downstream processing. Disruptor Beads, 0.1 mm diameter, are recommended for disruption of bacterial samples. A typical sample ratio would be 50 percent Disruptor Beads to 50 percent bacterial suspension by volume. This ratio may be adjusted as necessary. Allow head space (20 percent) within the microtube to facilitate disruption action. It is recommended that beads and bacterial suspension be chilled prior to disrupting in order to offset any temperature rise within the microtube. Disruption at room temperature using chilled materials for 3 to 5 minutes at highest speed should be sufficient to recover 85 percent of the bacterial RNA. Disruption can be performed in a cold room as well. Samples should not be run for longer than 10 minutes consecutively to avoid any temperature rise.