AimsTo demonstrate and characterize a portable lysis apparatus for rapid single-step bacterial DNA extraction. Methods and ResultsOur portable lysis apparatus employed a novel design consisting of an annular piezo-element with perforated diaphragm. Using Bacillus subtilis as target bacteria, our portable lysis apparatus was able to achieve a normalized percent lysis as high as 66% within 30s. This is comparable to that by microprobe ultrasonication and almost 7 times higher than that by conventional bead beating. The effect from adding glass beads was predictable. However, the results from the addition of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) were counter-intuitive because a further increase from 05 to 1% concentration reduced the lysis performance. The portable lysis apparatus is also at least 15-5 times more power efficient than microprobe ultrasonication. ConclusionsOur portable lysis apparatus is capable of rapidly extracting bacterial DNA and is more power efficient than microprobe ultrasonication. The addition of glass beads or SDS concentration (up to 05%) improves its performance. Significance and Impact of the StudyThe portable lysis apparatus provides a standalone, rapid, low cost and power efficient way of obtaining genomic constituents prior to a variety of bioassays used in the field of environmental, biomedical and other applied microbiology.