Bacterial cell lysis - what solution to use?

Question

I am trying to determine how quickly detergents act on bacterial cells (cell lysis). I would like to compare some detergents at difference concentrations for bacteriolytic activity. I don’t care about all metabolites inside the cells (proteins, DNA, etc…). Many publications suggest that often more complicated solutions are used. My first thought was to use a simple prepared detergent in PBS or saline for lysing the cells. Do I need a complex solution to lyse the cells?Could someone please give me a suggestion? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

it depends on your research. I will note that this research has been conducted before and would encourage you to read Rajagopal's 2003 paper in the Canadian Journal of Microbiology before continuing with this project. Let me know if you have any questions.