RETSCH’s new Mixer Mill MM 500 Vario is an all-in-one bench-top unit that provides absolute performance and utmost adaptability for sample preparation.
This instrument can be used for dry, wet, and cryogenic grinding of small amounts of samples with high throughput. The MM 500 Vario can also be equipped with screw-top grinding jars ranging from 1.5 to 50 mL. These are available in agate, stainless steel, tungsten carbide, hardened steel, PTFE, and zirconium oxide.
The MM 500 Vario can also be fitted with several adapters for single-use vials ranging from 0.2 to 5 mL for biological applications like the homogenization of plant materials and tissues or cell disruption via bead beating.
Mixer Mill MM 500 Vario #RETSCH #mixermill #laboratoryinstruments
Video Credit: RETSCH GmbH
Performance and Design
- Sizes down to 5 μm can be grinded
- Twice as fast as mills with only 30 Hz
- Vigorous pulverization with up to 35 Hz
- Touch display with an ergonomic design
Flexibility
- Ideal for dry, cryogenic, or wet grinding
- Four program cycles and 12 SOPs with a limit of 99 repeats allow for routine applications
- Also suitable for rapid (<2 minutes) and long-term grinding (up to 99 hours)
- Grinding jars of various sizes and materials; adapters for single-use vials
Image Credit: RETSCH GmbH
Biological Applications and Cell Disruption Solutions
Mixer mills are extensively employed for homogenizing biological samples like tissue, liver, plants, muscle, sputum, or corn. Bead-beating mixer mills are known to be the ideal solution for cell disruption. The MM 500 Vario harbors adapters are available for various single-use vials like 0.2 mL/1.5 mL/2 mL/5 mL.
Approximately 5 to 10 tubes can be introduced for each adapter, depending on the tube and the kind of adapter. This results in the maximum vial capacity per batch as follows:
- 20 × 5 mL
- 50 × 1.5 or 2 mL (or 60 × 0.2 mL)
Normal grinding/homogenizing processes of biological materials can be carried out in as little as two minutes. Cell disruption with better reproducibility and efficacy can be achieved based on the cell type in the range of 20 seconds to 5 minutes. Cryogenic grinding in single-use vials is also a better way of pulverizing tough or temperature-sensitive samples.
Solutions for biological applications and cell disruption. Image Credit: RETSCH GmbH