The biotechnology field is the love child of the biological, technology, environmental, and agricultural industries; it fuses concepts and ideas from each to develop innovative, useful, and life-saving products. The development and testing process that precedes consumer access to these products, however, require specific equipment. In particular, homogenizers use mechanical force alongside intensive mixing for effective creation of medicines, chemicals, biofuels, antibiotics, and more. Here we delve into the specific uses and essential roles for homogenizers within the biotechnology industry.
Optimized Cell Rupture Procedure
Cell materials are critical components of some of the most effective products coming out of the biotechnology industry. Equipment that can disrupt multiple cell types like E. coli, yeast, bacteria, mammalian tissue, and fungi should therefore be considered by any researcher engaging in this technique. Homogenizers can easily accommodate cell rupture in a number of ways; not only are they customizable so as to easily optimize the process for a given cell type, but they also use mechanical force, like cavitation, impact, process intensity, and shear, instead of solvents or chemicals, potentially preserving molecules of interest.
Production of Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles are indispensable to applications like fluorescent biological labeling, gene delivery, and tissue engineering. Homogenizers offer specific benefits that enhance the quality of the produced nanoparticle. Firstly, the combination of pressure and mechanical force achieves a uniform and consistent product. Secondly, many homogenizers offer both hot and cold options; while hot homogenization imparts heat above the lipid melting point to obtain an aqueous phase, cold homogenization is conducted with solid lipids and overcomes some of the drawbacks of heat. Each method may be preferable to different nanoparticle applications. And finally, nanoparticles are typically higher functioning when comprised of small as opposed to large particles, which is an easy feat for a homogenizer. (1)
Pion: The Homogenizer Advantage
The search for equipment to support your biotechnology application should begin with a consideration of how the above-listed factors will improve the product’s quality. Although many companies manufacture homogenizers, few are of the high quality needed to achieve reliable and reproducible results. Importantly, even fewer are customizable to a product’s specific needs. One example of equipment that does meet such expectations is the BEE brand high pressure homogenizer by Pion.
Pion's BEE brand products are trusted by researchers and lab managers around the world for key benefits, such as production of nano/micro emulsions, dispersions, and suspensions; importantly, this equipment can lyse a variety of cell types while preserving crucial intracellular contents through customizable machinery. Additionally, it can achieve consistent particle sizes at or below 100 nm, a crucial factor for researchers & corporations in the biotechnology industry.
Learn more about how Pion's BEE brand homogenizers can improve your biotechnology research by contacting us today.
