ABSTRACT
While bacterial cell lysis is a relatively straightforward process, there are signicant variations in its practice. The type of lysis is often dependent upon what subcellular component is to be puried such as the isolation of DNA versus protein, the scale of the project; miniprep versus industrial scale, and the type of microbe; and gram-negative versus gram-positive. Generally, microbial lysis methods can be broken down into three categories based on the relative harshness/intensity of the method: gentle, moderate, or vigorous (see Table 16.1, e.g., of each).1 Many of these methods give comparable results, and only personal preference plays a role in selection. Others are better suited to specic tasks and should be looked on with preference.
