Our recently retired lab manager used to say that there are only two instruments in the lab that she likes. The Constant cell disruptor was one of them.
What more can I say? I have worked with a number of different cell disruptors. Among those that lyse cells efficiently (i.e. discounting sonicators), the Constant is the most robust instrument I have come across. It requires very little maintenance. We have had ours since 2008 (!). It is hardly ever out of order. It is very easy to use. It doesn’t get clogged as easily as other similar instruments. It does not need to be in a cold room because the jacket can be cooled with a pump. The only drawback with the Constant continuous flow cell disruptor that I can see is the relatively large footprint, but that is well worth it in my opinion for a reliable, efficient, and low-maintenance cell disruptor.
Dr. Julia Griese
Associate Professor (Docent)
Principal Investigator
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
Uppsala University
BMC, Box 596
SE-75124 Uppsala
Sweden
Critical cell disruption parameters for critical structural protein analysis changes conventional thinking.
An interesting Nucleic Acids Research paper by Prof Julia Griese’s Structural Biology lab in Sweden using x-ray crystallography and cryo-EM, details why choosing the right cell disruption platform is imperative during the initial stages of protein purification to maintain sample integrity, before the demanding clean up processes. This was key to establishing this new understanding.
In the study of IdeR’s DNA recognition mechanism, maintaining sample integrity is vital. The research indicates that IdeR recognizes its DNA targets by interpreting the sequence-dependent structure of the DNA backbone, in addition to or instead of reading specific base sequences. This finding highlights the importance of preserving the native conformation of both the protein and DNA during experimental procedures. Utilizing Constant Systems’ cell disruption platforms has been essential in maintaining this integrity, thereby ensuring the reliability of the study’s conclusions.
