What is lysate?

Lysate is a type of biological preparation that is obtained by breaking open cells (lysis) to release their internal contents. This process can be done using physical methods such as sonication, freeze-thaw cycles, or cell homogenization, or chemical methods like detergents or enzymes.

Lysate can contain a mixture of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and other cell components depending on the source of the cells. Lysates are commonly used in various research applications, including protein expression studies, enzyme activity assays, and cell signaling experiments.

Lysates can be stored at low temperatures for short periods to maintain their activity and stability. They can also be further processed by removing unwanted components or concentrating specific proteins of interest. Commercially available lysates are often standardized and quality-controlled for consistency and reproducibility in experiments.