What is lysing buffer?

Lysing buffer is a solution used in molecular biology or biochemistry to break open cells and release cell contents such as proteins, DNA, and RNA. It generally contains a detergent, such as Triton X-100 or SDS, which lyses the cell membrane and releases the cell contents. The buffer may also contain other components such as protease inhibitors, reducing agents, or chaotropic salts to protect the released proteins from degradation or to enhance DNA or RNA yield. Different types of lysing buffers are used depending on the type of cells and the application. For example, a bacterial lysing buffer may contain lysozyme, an enzyme that breaks down bacterial cell walls, while a mammalian cell lysing buffer may contain strong detergents such as Nonidet P-40 to disrupt the lipid bilayer.