Cell Lysis

                        http://www.piercenet.com/Proteomics

In order to get the proteins out of the bacterial cell, cell lysis must occur.  This could be done in a number of ways.  One way being the freeze thaw method.  This is done by freezing the sample, then immediately thawing it.  The cells expand and break open when the water inside of the cell freezes, then when it thaws, the jagged ice also breaks apart the cell.  This allows the contents of the cell to leak out into the solution.  Lysozyme can also be used.  Lysozyme is an enzyme that destroys bacterial cell walls.  It hydrolyzes the polysaccharide component of the cell wall.  It is used in much research and is obtained from egg whites.  The glass bead method can also be used.  This is done by putting the tiny glass beads into the solution with the cells in it, vortexing the sample, then removing the glass beads.  The beads and their high velocity from the vortex break the cell walls down.