Elastase, 1 g

Elastase from STEMCELL Technologies is a serine protease supplied as a 1 g lyophilized powder for research workflows that require controlled breakdown of elastin-rich connective tissue. The enzyme is commonly combined with collagenase and DNase I in multi-enzyme digestion protocols to release single cells from lung parenchyma, arterial walls, and dermal biopsies for downstream flow cytometry, cell culture, and histology applications. Investigators also use this reagent to model neutrophil elastase activity in studies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and acute pancreatitis.

The lyophilized preparation is reconstituted in a calcium-containing buffer immediately before use, kept cold on ice during incubation, and any unused portion should be aliquoted and frozen to limit freeze-thaw loss of activity. Each bottle delivers enough enzyme for multiple small-scale tissue digests, with working concentrations adjusted based on tissue density and desired incubation time. The reagent is intended for research use only and supports enzymatic tissue dissociation as part of broader cell isolation and extracellular matrix remodeling studies.