An apparatus for destroying cancer cells in blood includes a vessel for accepting a flow of blood of a patient through the vessel, and a sound energy source coupled with the vessel for generating sound energy at a resonant sweep frequency that causes cancer cells, within the flow of blood in the vessel, to act as cavitation nuclei and implode without implosion of other cells not resonant with the resonant sweep frequency. A method for destroying cancer cells in blood includes circulating blood from a patient through a vessel coupled with a sound energy source and exposing the blood, when passing through the vessel, to sound energy at a resonant sweep frequency to make cancer cells therein act as cavitation nuclei and implode without implosion of other cells not resonant with the resonant sweep frequency.

Disclosed are an apparatus and methods for rapid amplification of nucleic acids. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for mixing a reaction solution during amplification of nucleic acids and to methods for amplifying nucleic acids. Also disclosed are methods for lysing cells in a sample and amplifying nucleic acids.

A method for lysing cells is disclosed. The method includes stirring cells with a magnetic stir element in the presence of a plurality of cell lysis beads at a speed sufficient to lyse the cells. Also disclosed is a device for lysing cells. The device includes a container having a magnetic stir element and a plurality of cell lysis beads disposed therein. The container is dimensioned to allow rotation of the magnetic stir element inside the container.

Disclosed are methods and devices for lysing cells to release extract genomic DNA (gDNA). The methods use a mixture of microscopic glass beads and cells (for example, spores) that form a semi-dry cake that clings to a larger metal ball and the sides of the tube during bead beating lysis, greatly improving the efficiency of the bead beating process. The devices produce a chaotic motion which ensures that sufficient force is generated to open the cells, and that the metal ball impacts are distributed across the interior surface of the container so that all of the cell mixture is subjected to sufficient impacts to break the cells. As a result, spores and other difficult-to-lyse microbes, can be opened in seconds. The method reduces the number of steps and hands-on time by rapidly opening difficult to lyse cells, while preserving the integrity of the DNA.

A mechanical lysis method includes (a) spinning a mixing head at a spin rate in a liquid sample, containing cells and beads, such that the mixing head cooperates with the beads to lyse the cells, wherein the spin rate exceeds a threshold rate associated with a predefined lysis efficiency, and (b) preventing the mixing head from spinning if the spin rate cannot be maintained above the threshold rate. A lysis apparatus includes (a) a receptacle for holding a container containing a liquid sample with cells and beads, (b) a mixing head configured to spin in the liquid sample, (c) a motor configured to spin the mixing head such that the mixing head cooperates with the beads to lyse the cells, and (d) a switch configured to prevent spinning of the mixing head at a spin rate lower than a threshold rate associated with a predefined lysis efficiency.

Methods and systems used to extract lipids suitable in production of biofuels from a fermentation broth may include using heat to pre-treat the fermentation broth in order to more easily extract a product from oleaginous microorganisms in the broth. Additionally or alternatively, a combination of enzymes including amylase, 1-4 mannosidase, and 1-3 mannosidase may be used to break down cell walls of the oleaginous microorganisms. Residual broth water may be recycled and used as imbibition water for washing a process feedstock to extract sugar.

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a non-enzymatic method for isolating stem cells from adipose tissue, wherein the method comprises treating adipose tissue with ultrasonic cavitation to break up the adipose tissue and lyses mature adipocytes, resulting in a stromal vascular fraction containing viable stromal/stem cells.

A device and method for lysing biological species present in a fluid includes implementing a rough surface against which the objects to be lysed are crushed by a shearing motion. A device for mechanically lysing biological species has a first and second wall mounted movable relative to each other, between an initial position in which the walls are separated from each other, and a lysing position in which the first wall presses against the second wall. The first and second walls also are mounted shearingly movable relative to each other in the lysing position. At least one of the first or second walls has a rough bearing surface against the other wall and has a mean surface roughness parameter Ra of between 0.2 m and 10 m, and preferably between 0.2 m and 3 m.

A system for imploding leukemia cells of a patient includes (a) a first vessel for containing a volume of blood received from the patient, and (b) drive circuitry cooperatively coupled with at least one transducer to produce ultrasound energy that spatially decoheres and disperses throughout the volume, to implode the leukemia cells throughout the volume via absorption of the ultrasound energy by the leukemia cells. The transducer may be an immersible transducer configured to be immersed in the blood. The system may include a second vessel for containing a liquid, within which the ultrasound energy is decohered and dispersed and from which at least a portion of the ultrasound energy is transmitted to the first vessel to implode the leukemia cells.

The invention relates to a method of cell lysis for forming at least one pore in the cell wall and/or cell membrane of a cell in an aqueous medium for release of at least one intracellular target protein and/or lipid from the cell into the aqueous medium, including subjecting the cell with the intracellular target protein and/or lipid in the aqueous medium to an electrohydraulic comminution; and separating the target protein and/or lipid from the cell.

The electrohydraulic comminution is brought about by a pulse current source. The cell in the aqueous medium is subjected to electrical impulse discharges between at least two electrodes of an underwater radio path of a container at a specific operating voltage, impulse energy, and pulse frequency, and at least one pore is formed in the cell wall and/or cell membrane.