Tissue Collection
TT1 bags completely encompass the sample source. These vessels can withstand the forces of pulverization and extreme temperatures at -70°C and below.

Pulverization
Tissue pieces are fragmented into smaller pieces suitable for homogenization. Pulverization takes place in under two seconds to ensure that the sample remains cold.

Acoustic Homogenization
As an alternative to labor intensive homogenization methods, CGL employs acoustic technology to induce tissue disruption. With a computer-controlled process, sound waves are directed to the sample sealed within a homogenization buffer. Within the buffer, bubbles rapidly form and collapse, creating an intense jet of solute that consistently disrupts cells in solution. This highly reproducible, non-contact technology prevents cross-contamination, offers a significant decrease in processing time, and scales well for greater throughput.

Small Rotor Stator Homogenization
Small mass samples can be directly homogenized in their shipping tubes with CGL's modified version of the rotor stator. Using disposable small generators, this process eliminates carryover contamination and has a quick processing time.

Estimation of Tissue Mass
After homogenization, each sample is weighed to determine the actual mass of the tissue. Accurate tissue mass is important at the purification step to avoiding overloading and to maintain the required RNA yields specified for the hybridization experiments.