Ballistic Disruption of Penicillium chrysogenum Cells
Abstract
Ballistic Disruption of Penicillium chrysogenum Cells Pat B. Hamilton 1 and S. G. Knight Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin ABSTRACT The use of glass beads in a high-speed mixing device to rupture organisms was applied to molds. The use of a mixer in which the propellor shaft enters from the top into a metal mixing chamber made it possible to immerse the whole device in a salt water and ice mixture so that the temperature of the glass-bead slurry could be kept below 5 C without difficulty. Mycelia, glass beads, and buffer in a 1:2:3 (w/w) ratio gave above 95% breakage in 15 min with Penicillium chrysogenum cells and in 4 min with Rhizopus nigricans . Some of the factors influencing breakage are discussed.