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• Homogenization of Drosophila Adults

Homogenization of Drosophila Adults

Instrument: Bullet Blender or Bullet Blender Blue

Sample: Fruit fly (D. melanogaster) adults

Protocol:

1. Place 10 - 300 mg of Drosophila into microcentrifuge.
2. Add a volume of 0.5mm zirconium oxide or 0.5 mm zirconium silicate beads equal to the mass of tissue.  A useful guideline is 100mg ≅ 100μL, as the flies may lie loose in the tube and occupy more volume than they would compressed.
3. Add 2 volumes of buffer for every volume of sample.
4. Securely close the microcentrifuge tubes and place them into the Bullet Blender®.
5. Set the Bullet Blender to a speed of 8 and a run time of 3 minutes. Press start.
6. After the run, remove the tubes from the instrument.
7. Visually inspect samples, if homogenization is unsatisfactory, run for another two minutes at speed 9.

Results: