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• Homogenization Protocol for Shellfish

Homogenization Protocol for Shellfish

Instrument: Bullet Blender 50

Sample:  Shellfish

Protocol:

1. Break the shell of the animal in a clean dissection area. Remove fragments of shell from the soft tissue.
2. If desired, wash the soft tissue with saline to remove any sand or shell fragments.
3. Blot excess liquid from the soft tissue using a Kimwipe® or other lint free cloth.
4. Cut the tissue into appropriately sized pieces (up to 9g).
5. Place tissue into a 50mL skirted conical centrifuge tube (Axygen® or Corning®).
6. Add a mass of stainless steel beads (4.8mm) to the tube equal to approximately 3x the mass of your sample.
7. Add 4-7mL buffer.
8. Screw caps onto centrifuge tubes TIGHTLY.
9. Place tubes into the Bullet Blender® 50.
10. Set controls for SPEED 10 and TIME 12 minutes.
11. Remove tubes from the instrument.
12. Visually inspect samples, if homogenization is unsatisfactory, run for another six minutes at the SPEED 10.
13. Proceed with your downstream application.

Results: