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Updated: May 25, 2026

Isolation of Cellular Lipid Droplets: Two Purification Techniques Starting from Yeast Cells and Human Placentas

Isolation of Cellular Lipid Droplets: Two Purification Techniques Starting from Yeast Cells and Human Placentas

Published on: April 1, 2014

A single centrifugation method for isolating fat droplets from cells and tissues.

Lydia-Ann L S Harris¹, Trevor M Shew¹, James R Skinner¹

¹Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.

Journal of Lipid Research

|February 14, 2012

Summary

Researchers developed a simple centrifugation method to isolate fat droplets (FDs) from cells and tissues. This technique efficiently separates FDs, soluble components, and other organelles for further study.

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Lipid Droplet Isolation for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Lipid Droplet Isolation for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Published on: April 17, 2017

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biochemistry
Organelle Isolation

Background:

Fat droplets (FDs) are crucial for cellular energy regulation.
Studying FDs requires effective isolation methods from biological samples.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe a straightforward procedure for isolating fat droplets.
To enable efficient fractionation of cellular components using a single centrifugation step.

Main Methods:

Fractionation of whole cell or tissue homogenates.
Utilized a single centrifugation step in a standard microcentrifuge.

Main Results:

Reproducibly obtained three distinct fractions.
Fractions were highly enriched in either FDs, soluble cellular components, or sedimentable organelles/membranes.

Conclusions:

The described method provides an efficient way to isolate fat droplets.
This technique facilitates the study of FDs and other cellular components.