French pressure cell press
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The French pressure cell press, or French press, is an apparatus used in biological experimentation to disrupt the plasma membrane of cells by passing them through a narrow valve under high pressure.
The press uses an external hydraulic pump to drive a piston within a larger cylinder that contains the sample. The highly pressurized solution is then squeezed past a needle valve. Once past the valve, the pressure drops to atmospheric pressure and generates shear stress that disrupts the cells.
A French press is commonly used to break the resilient plasma membrane and cell walls of bacteria during protein isolation. Some disadvantages of the press include that it is prone to valve clogging, is not well suited to processing of large sample volumes, and is awkward to manipulate and clean due to the weight of the assembly (about 30 lb or 14 kg).
