Centrifugation: Lab Techniques, Examples and Types | Corning

Centrifugation employs the principle of sedimentation to separate particles based on their mass and size. Light particles stay at the top, heavy particles sink to the bottom because of differences in centrifugal force.

Blood Separation Methods

Clinical laboratories extensively utilize this lab technique to separate whole blood into its constituent parts for diagnostic purposes. By adjusting the parameters, technicians can isolate specific blood components for further analysis, such as serum for biochemical assays.

Differential Centrifugation in Microbiology

In microbiology, differential centrifugation is a fundamental technique for isolating and purifying cellular organelles and macromolecules. Scientists can separate cellular components based on their size and density by spinning cell lysates at different speeds.

Centrifugation encompasses a myriad of techniques and theories tailored to specific applications. From density gradient to ultracentrifugation, researchers leverage diverse methodologies to achieve precise separations and purifications in their experiments.

5 Tips for Better Centrifugation

1. Select the Appropriate Rotor
   Select the rotor that will be compatible with your centrifuge and tubes/bottles you will use. Depending on the application, you can choose between fixed angle and swing-out rotors. Different vessels require different rotors, such as vertical rotors, rotors for microplates, or rotors for PCR strips.
2. Use the Appropriate Tube
   Choosing the correct tube size and rotor for your centrifuge is crucial. Knowing which ones you need is important for best results. Since most benchtop centrifuges use 1.5 mL tubes, you wouldn’t want to use a 0.5 mL tube, unless you have an adapter equipped.
   Make sure you know which centrifuge and tube size to use to avoid breaking the tube and ruining your sample. Depending on your solution type you also have to determine what material centrifuge tube you need to use.
3. Balance the Centrifuge
   Balancing the centrifuge is important to get good results and prolong its lifespan. When using a centrifuge to spin tubes with the same solution, ensure that the samples have equal volumes. If the volumes are not euqla, pair samples with similar volumes and place them on opposite sides of the rotor. If the solution has different densities, weigh the tubes and make sure they all weigh the same.
   If you only have one sample, there is an easy solution. Take the same size tube, fill it with the same amount (or until the same weight) as your sample but with water.
4. Determine the Appropriate Speed
   Scientists often describe the centrifuge rotor speed as RCF (Relative Centrifugal Force). When choosing a speed, consider both the application and the test tubes you will use. If the speed is too high the tubes may break.
5. Secure the Rotor Lid
   The last step before you start operating your centrifuge is to check the rotor lid. Once you secure the lid, you can close the centrifuge (the lid may also have a lock mechanism in place).

The applications of centrifugation span a wide spectrum, ranging from protein purification and nucleic acid isolation to nanoparticle synthesis and vaccine production. Researchers across academia, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology harness centrifugation to unlock new insights and drive innovation.

Types of Centrifuges Offered by Corning

Corning Life Sciences offers lab centrifuges with speeds up to 13,500 rpm for various uses and effective separations.

Our small benchtop instrument has an 8-place rotor for fast spinning of micro-samples in 1.5 mL to 2.0 mL tubes. The package also includes adapters for 0.5/0.4 mL and 0.2 mL tubes. 

The Corning LSE High Speed microcentrifuge has an easy-to-use digital control interface. It spins at 13,300 rpm for quickly separating nucleic acids and proteins. The special cooling system makes the machine run quietly and cool, even when running at full speed.

The small centrifuge can hold different sizes of tubes and spin them at speeds ranging from 200 to 6,000 rpm. It saves space and fits tubes ranging from 5 mL to 50 mL.

The Axygen Axyspin can handle cold samples. Scientists use it for tasks such as preparing nucleic acids and proteins, purifying, extracting, and pelleting. The instrument is compact and can perform all these functions efficiently in a small space. The Axyspin chamber quickly cools to 4°C in 8 minutes for 1.5 and 2.0 mL microcentrifuge tubes.

In conclusion, centrifugation stands as a cornerstone technique underpinning countless scientific endeavors. With its versatility, precision, and efficiency, centrifugation continues to drive advancements in research, diagnostics, and industrial processes, shaping the landscape of modern science.