The French pressure cell press, or French press, is an apparatus used in biological experimentation to

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the

plasma membrane The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane (PM) or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment (t ...

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery ...

s by passing them through a narrow valve under high pressure. The French Press can also be used for disintegration of chloroplasts, homogenates of animal tissue, and other biological particles. It is capable of disrupting cell walls while leaving the cell nucleus undisturbed. The French press was invented by Charles Stacy French of the

Carnegie Institution of Washington The Carnegie Institution of Washington (the organization's legal name), known also for public purposes as the Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS), is an organization in the United States established to fund and perform scientific research. Th ...

. The press uses an external

hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...

pump to drive a

piston A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tig ...

within a larger cylinder that contains the liquid sample. The highly pressurized sample is then squeezed past a

needle valve A needle valve is a type of valve with a small port and a threaded, needle-shaped plunger. It allows precise regulation of flow, although it is generally only capable of relatively low flow rates. Construction and operation An instrument ...

. As the sample passes through the valve, the fluid experiences

shear stress Shear stress, often denoted by (Greek: tau), is the component of stress coplanar with a material cross section. It arises from the shear force, the component of force vector parallel to the material cross section. ''Normal stress'', on the ot ...

and decompression, causing cellular disruption. The major components of a French press are made of

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

to prevent sample contamination. A French press is commonly used to break the resilient plasma membrane and

cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mech ...

s of

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

and other microorganisms for isolation of

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

s and other cellular components. The disruption of cells in a French press generates 'inside-out' membrane vesicles which are required for many ''in vitro'' biochemical assays. The cell is typically chilled overnight before use to preserve enzymatic activities. Disadvantages of the press include that it is not well suited for processing large sample volumes, and is somewhat difficult to operate as a result of the large weight of the assembly (about 14 kg). Another disadvantage is that the input cell volume must be free of large cell clumps, which requires a pre-processing step (typically, by sonication). If cell clumps are not removed prior to processing, clogging of the valve occurs, and the unit must be cleaned thoroughly before the processing can continue. As a result, many protein purification labs find that the use of lysozyme and sonication is sufficient for routine bacterial protein expression. Other technologies, such as

sonication A sonicator at the Weizmann Institute of Science during sonicationSonication is the act of applying sound energy to agitate particles in a sample, for various purposes such as the extraction of multiple compounds from plants, microalgae and seawe ...

and

ball mill A ball mill is a type of grinder used to grind or blend materials for use in mineral dressing processes, paints, pyrotechnics, ceramics, and selective laser sintering. It works on the principle of impact and attrition: size reduction is done ...

s, are available for many of the same purposes, and have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, sonication can generate high shear forces that break cellular DNA into small fragments. With a French press, the shear force can be carefully modulated by adjusting the piston pressure. The Press provides a single pass through the point of maximum shear force, limiting damage to delicate biological structures due to repeated shear, as occurs in other disruption methods.

References

{{reflist Laboratory equipment

See also

References