Sonicator

[jgibbons1]

Hi all,
We are not quite ready to invest in a Bioruptor and wanted to know what sonicators people are using out there. We've been using a collaborators equipment but their sonicator is older and the probe is a bit large. Because of this our fragmentation is not always ideal.

What soncicators (and probes) are people using out there?

Thanks!

[qsonica]

http://www.sonicator.com/site/pdf/Chip_Assay.pdf

A microtip probe is the most common method but for sonicating small samples but a cup horn is becoming the more popular option since it eliminates the issues associated with putting a probe into your sample.

Check out the cup horn sonicator. Its much less expensive than a bioruptor and operates very similarly. It has a longer warranty and is made in the USA.

I can email you some data at your request.

[JHU-ChIPmaniac]

We actually have a bioruptor that works very well but this cup horn looks very interesting. We won't be investing anymore in sonication equipment right now but i will pass on this info to other labs that inquire about sonication methods.

[Gillow]

We have a sonicator with a cup horn has anyone used one for shearing DNA for library prep for NGS.

[DomiP]

Hi!
Just a simple question: why excluding the Bioruptor?

Look at the benefits of this equipment that has become the gold standard in chromatin and DNA shearing (cited in more than 200 papers) before considering any alternative technology:

- Random fragmentation
- Tight distribution of fragments around desired size
- High recovery of dsDNA
- Up to 48 sample capacity
- Closed tube format (no contamination risk)
- Simultaneous sample processing – true multiplexed sonication
- Optimized programs for different DNA fragment size ranges and distributions (from 120 to 3500 bp) (see link below)
- Consistent and robust results (highly reproducible process)
- Integrates into laboratory workflows, uses standard plastic tubes

A quick glance at the poster http://www.diagenode.com/media/docum...2_22_06_10.pdf
should convince you.

DomiP

[NextGenSeq]

We use the Covaris and are happy with the results.

[GW_OK]

We too have been quite pleased with our Covaris.

[bkingham]

Covaris.... I've also used Hydroshear, Bioruptor. The Covaris has been the most reproducible

[captainentropy]

if I may reply to DomiP. Why exclude the bioruptor? It's about $15K. For many labs that might be a tough squeeze since almost every lab will have a tip sonicator and cup horns are not an expensive addition (often less than 1/10th the cost of a bioruptor).

[bfrost]

I use a Branson Sonifier. It works very well, and seems to be more powerful than other sonicators. I don't have to sonicate as long as many protocols suggest.

[DMO]

I have ran head-head trials between the bioruptor and the Covaris and the Covaris gave better results every time. We typically fragment to 200bp and the Covaris gives a much tighter peak at 200bp than the bioruptor. Also, I find the Covaris to be a much nicer machine to use.

[NextGenSeq]

The Branson sonifier uses a probe doesn't it? Seems like a good way to get cross library contamination.

[citasunchild]

ANYONE have experience in Qsonica vs Covaris for NGS prep shearing??? In particular how to convert time/power settings from Covaris over to Qsonica? TruSeq Nano prep.

[captainentropy]

You will probably need to work out the conditions for each chromatin sample regardless.

In my experience, settings are rarely "convertible". Even with the same model of sonicator you can get different settings because of differential wear on their internal components.