8BIORUPTOR®PICO MANUAL
Introduction
Diagenode’s Bioruptor® Pico uses a gentle method of sonication to retain the integrity of
DNA and/or biological complexes, including chromatin, protein-protein binding, protein-
DNA complexes and other biochemical and biological assay systems. The Bioruptor® Pico
sonication system uses a sonication bath to generate indirect sonication waves, which
emanate from an ultrasound element below the water tank. Because the system is gentler
than other sonicators, the Bioruptor® Pico produces better and more consistent results than
with harsher sonication methods. Up to 16 closed tubes can be sonicated in parallel and the
continuous rotation of tubes allows even distribution of the energy for efcient sonication.
The Bioruptor® Pico enables automation of sonication, guaranteeing higher reproducibility
of results.
The effect of ultrasound on biological sample
The Bioruptor® Pico sonication system uses
ultrasound to create focused mechanical stress to
shear chromatin or DNA. Ultrasound waves pass
through the sample expanding and contracting the
liquid. During expansion, negative pressures pull
the molecules away from one another to form a
cavity or bubble. This process is called cavitation.
The bubble continues to absorb energy until it can
no longer sustain itself and implodes. This produces intense focused shearing forces, that
disperse and break biomolecules. The fragmentation of chromatin or DNA takes place as a
consequence of this mechanical stress or shear.
With the Bioruptor® Pico, the entire volume of water present in the sonication bath is exposed
to ultrasound, allowing all the samples to be efciently sonicated in parallel (Figure 1).
Use of Bioruptor®Pico by pregnant women
Exposure to 20-60 kHz sound waves has not been shown to be harmful to human health.
However, we would recommend avoiding unnecessary exposure. Diagenode recommends
that pregnant women should not be exposed to 20-60 kHz wave lengths for a long period of
time.
