Hi,
I'm in the process of setting our lab up for lipids analysis and I would love to hear some of your insights on filtration methods.
My background is in DNA/RNA, so I've been using columns and centrifugation, but I keep seeing people using vacuum manifolds when working on lipids. It's a very similar process, using silica-based filter columns to separate cell components, but somehow it seems both sides use their own method.
Now, my understanding is that we simply need to make our liquid sample pass through the filter, I can't see how it would make a difference whether it's pushed through by centrifugation or pulled through by a vacuum. The difference might simply be a custom in the different fields, but am I missing something?
PS.: This community's Q and A section has been a huge help during my studies (still is), I thank you all for your contributions here and with others!
I assume you would like to purify you sample prior to analysis. I would suggest vacuum filtration, since there are many ready-made type of columns with various packing material commercially available and also vacuum manifolds designed for simultaneous filtration of several samples. Look at companies for chromatography supply.
I would also favour the use of a vacuum manifold. Firstly, you can readily process many samples in parallel but most importantly you can actively monitor the chromatographic process (some samples may run faster than others and it is generally not a good idea to allow columns to run dry) without the inevitable delays inherent in the the use of a centrifuge.
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