Matrix Selection Guide
Compare RotaPrep lysing matrices by bead composition, sample type, and application to find a starting point for your sample preparation workflow.
This guide covers our 2 mL lysing matrix tubes. Bead composition and sample suitability can also help guide bulk media selection; check the individual bulk product for available sizes and formulations.
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to view all four columns.
| Matrix | Bead composition | Recommended samples | Primary uses and selection notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix AOrange cap | 30/40 mesh garnet and one 6.35 mm (¼-inch) ceria-stabilized zirconia grinding ball. | Tough, difficult-to-lyse solid samples. | Disruption before genomic DNA and protein purification. |
| Matrix BBlue cap | 0.1 mm silica beads. | Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; cultures, swabs, and filters. | Sample preparation for total RNA and DNA isolation. Not intended for soil samples. |
| Matrix CRed cap | 1 mm borosilicate glass beads. | Yeasts, molds, spores, filamentous algae, and fungi. | Lysis before RNA, protein, and DNA purification, including mycobiome research. |
| Matrix D | 1.4 mm zirconium silicate beads. | Softer animal tissues such as brain, spleen, and lung; plant roots, flowers, fruits, and leaves; cells, cultures, and intact insects. | Primarily RNA extraction. Chemically inert beads do not bind nucleic acids. Matrix A is recommended for DNA extraction from these tissues. |
| Matrix EPurple cap | 0.1 mm borosilicate glass beads, 1.4 mm zirconium silicate beads, and 4 mm glass beads. | Soil, geological sediments, wastewater, filtrates, forensic samples, and infected tissues. | Sample preparation for DNA and RNA extraction from complex samples. |
| Matrix FWhite cap | Fractured aluminum oxide and silicon carbide crystals, averaging 1.6 mm in diameter. | Cells in workflows targeting fragile macromolecules or cellular structures. | High cascade impaction with low shearing. Isolation of intact organelles, supramolecular assemblies, RNA, and proteins where preservation of tertiary structure is important. |
| Matrix G | 1 mm glass beads. | Infected tissue containing pathogenic yeast capsules and hyphae; samples for organelle isolation. | High impaction with low shearing; isolation of intact organelles and supramolecular structures; disruption of yeast polysaccharide capsules and hyphae. |
| Matrix HYellow cap | 2 mm glass beads and 2 mm zirconia beads. | Bacterial colonies, biofilms, diatoms, insects, and organisms with shells or exoskeletons. | Grinding, homogenization, and lysis of tough samples before RNA, DNA, or protein isolation; organelle isolation with suitable processing conditions. |
| Matrix IClear cap | 2 mm zirconium silicate beads and one 4 mm ceramic bead. | Spores, exoskeletons, and biomineralized or fossilized shells. | Primarily dry grinding of hard samples. Also wet lysis and homogenization with high cascade impaction and low shearing. |
| Matrix JPink cap | 2 mm zirconia beads and 1.6 mm aluminum oxide beads. | Cells, spores, ova, helminths, and cysts on collection materials; tape-collected skin cells or parasites; airborne microbes on filters. | Stripping, scrubbing, and lysing samples attached to supporting or collection materials. |
| Matrix KBrown cap | 0.8 mm zirconium silicate beads. | Fixed and paraffin-embedded animal and plant tissues; fungal spores, cysts, yeasts, ova, and other fixed samples. | Grinding, homogenization, and lysis of fixed tissues and other listed samples. |
| Matrix MOrange cap | One 6.35 mm (¼-inch) ceria-stabilized zirconia ceramic grinding ball. | Difficult, hard, and brittle samples. | Primarily sample preparation for RNA extraction; cascade impaction with minimized mechanical shearing to help preserve released macromolecules. |
| Matrix SClear cap | 3.175 mm stainless steel beads. | Hair, nails, seeds, and plant tissues with high lignin content. | Grinding tough, keratin-rich materials and high-lignin plant tissues. |
| Matrix SSWhite cap | One 6.35 mm (¼-inch) stainless steel grinding ball. | Animal, plant, and microbial samples. | Cascade impaction lysis where minimizing shearing and vortexing is important. |
| Matrix YYellow cap | 0.5 mm yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide beads. | Biofilms and filamentous microbial growth. | Lysis where minimal mechanical shearing is desired. |
| Matrix ZRed cap | 2 mm yttria-stabilized zirconium oxide beads. | Softer plant and animal tissues, including plant stems, seeds, and roots, and whole insects. | A less aggressive alternative to Matrix A where preserving nucleic acid length is a priority. |
Choosing Your Matrix
Start with your sample type and the material you want to recover. Then select processing conditions appropriate to your sample and workflow. Speed, run time, and cooling influence disruption and the integrity of recovered molecules or structures.
Instrument Compatibility
RotaPrep 2 mL lysing matrix tubes are for use with RotaPrep homogenizers, FastPrep instruments, and any other bead beaters that use 2 mL tubes.