For tissue homogenisation, laboratory professionals and researchers often face the dilemma when selecting a suitable tissue homogenizer to meet their needs. Typically, there are two types of homogenizers – high-speed and ultrasonic. Although both devices aim to achieve the same goals, which is to break down tissue samples, each one has its set of pros and cons. To streamline the decision, you need to analyse the features, advantages, and disadvantages of both the devices to make the right decision but first let us understand what tissue homogenization is.
Things to know about tissue homogenisation
Tissue homogenisation is a process where tissue samples undergo disruption to extract nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and various cellular components. The primary reason for researchers to conduct this process in the laboratory is to break the cells without damaging the parts that are to be used for further analysis. Now, what’s really important is the method of homogenisation as it may impact both the quantity and quality of various extracted materials.
There are two ways to achieve homogenisation – using high-speed and ultrasonic devices. Here is a detailed account of high-speed vs ultrasonic homogenizer for you to choose the right equipment.
High-speed tissue homogenizer
A high speed tissue homogenizer comprises a motorized system operating at very high speed that is enough to shear the tissues. In this device, the movement of the rotating blades help in breaking down tissues into very small particles.
Usually, the sample tissue is placed in a homogenisation tube and the rotor blades are submerged into the samples. When the rotor spins very fast, it creates an amount of force that helps in breaking down the tissues and the release of intracellular components.
Pros of high-speed tissue homogenizer
Wondering what makes the high-speed homogenizer a suitable device for studying the intracellular components? Here is what you need to know:
- Efficiency and speed
A high speed tissue homogenizer can break down volumes of samples in one go and this is particular useful for laboratories where homogenisation of multiple tissue samples need to take place within a short time.
- Scalability
This type of homogenizer is available in a wide range of sizes which makes it easy to choose one that suits your workspace. So, you can get small handheld units or larger models for small and large volume applications.
- Versatile device
The high-speed device is capable of handling various types of tissues, whether soft or hard like liver and muscles without requiring specialised attachments.
- Consistency
Due to high shear force that the rotor generates, the homogenization achieved is consistent across multiple samples.
- Cost-effective
High speed homogenizers are usually more cost-effective compared to ultrasonic homogenizers when you compare its capacity of processing high-volume and multiple samples.
Cons of high-speed homogenizer
Here are a few disadvantages of high-speed tissue homogenizer:
- Generation of heat
Due to high-speed rotational motion, high-speed tissue homogenizers often generate very high amount of heat, causing degradation of heat-sensitive compounds when the setup is not controlled carefully.
- Damage to samples
While high-shear forces are useful for disrupting tissues, it may also lead to damage in the samples, especially for those intracellular components that are sensitive to mechanical stress.
- Limited control
While homogenizers are good for disruption of tissues, it lacks the fine control that is needed for those applications where precision matters like handling fragile or delicate samples.
Ultrasonic homogenizer
The ultrasonic homogenizer uses very high-frequency sound waves also called ultrasound to disrupt tissue samples. Here, repaid pressure changes take place in the liquid medium and create small bubbles that explode and create shear forces that leads to disruption of tissues.
You need to just place the samples in the liquid medium and a probe that emits ultrasound waves, which cause the tissues to disrupt and release of cellular components.
Pros of ultrasonic homogenizer
If you want to delve into the differences in homogenisation, here is a detailed of the advantages of using an ultrasonic homogenizer ad here they are:
- Reduced generation of heat
Although ultrasonic homogenizers generate a lot of heat, they can perform equally well in cooler environments and reduce the risk of thermal damage to a great extent. That is one of the reasons why they are preferred for heat-sensitive samples.
- Control and precision
Ultrasonic devices offer good control over the process of homogenisation and allow users to adjust various parameters like amplitude, power, and time to achieve the desired results. This is especially useful for those tissue samples that are highly delicate.
- Homogenisation in smaller volumes
With this device, processing small volumes of samples are good for different research applications. The ultrasonic homogenizers are highly useful for situations where researchers need to obtain high throughput with limited amount of samples.
- Good for tough materials
When it comes to disruption of tough tissue samples, ultrasonic homogenizers are highly effective. Samples comprising tough and fibrous tissues that are otherwise difficult to homogenize becomes easy with this device.
Cons of ultrasonic homogenizer
You need to get glimpses of the reasons why you might avoid using an ultrasonic homogenizer:
- Time and cost
Although ultrasonic homogenizers are deemed as appropriate for smaller samples, the processing time shoots for large volumes of samples. Moreover, they are usually more expensive than high speed homogenizers.
- Scalability is limited
These devices are not useful for large-scale homogenization due to smaller probe size and restricted power of processing, making them largely suitable for smaller samples.
- Inconsistent results
The efficiency of homogenization using the ultrasonic device depends on various factors like volume and types of samples and the positioning of the probe. That way, the results you obtain may become inconsistent.
Both high-speed tissue homogenizers and ultrasonic homogenizers are indispensable tools for disruption of tissues. Each has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of speed, versatility, and efficiency and processing volumes. You need to identify your specific needs before making the decision. Here is how you need to identify your needs:
- For large volumes of tissue samples and multiple samples, a high-speed tissue homogenizer is a cost-effective option for laboratories
- For tough and fibrous tissues like seeds, bone, and plant materials, the ultrasonic homogenizer provides better results.
- For processing small volumes of samples one at a time, the ultrasonic homogenizer provides better control but it won’t be useful for multiple samples
- For laboratories running under shoestring budget, the high-speed tissue homogenizer is most versatile for generic tissue disruption.
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