Apparatus for sample preparation

1. A vessel for containing a sample, the vessel comprising,

a reversibly sealable chamber for containing the sample, the reversibly sealable chamber including flexible portion formed one or more polymer sheets and being flexible enough to deform nondestructively in response to a mechanical impact sufficient to fragment the sample into a plurality of sample fragments, and having an impact energy transfer of greater than or equal to about 10 Joules, wherein the one or more polymer sheets is formed from a material that remains nondestructively deformable at temperatures less than about −40° C.

2. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein the one or more polymer sheets is formed from a material that remains nondestructively deformable at temperatures between about −40° C. and about −196° C.

3. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein the one or more polymer sheets is formed from a material that does not crack, tear, or rip when exposed to the mechanical impact.

4. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein the one or more polymer sheets has a thickness of between about 0.5 and about 5 mil.

5. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein the reversibly sealable chamber includes a reversibly sealable port attached to the flexible portion, and wherein the flexible portion and the reversibly sealable port form a barrier between the sample and an external environment.

6. The vessel of claim 5 , wherein the reversibly sealable port is sized and shaped for reversibly mating with a second vessel so as to form a barrier between the sample and the external environment.

7. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein at least the one or more polymer sheets is formed at least in part from one of: polyimide, polysulfone, fluorinated polymer, or a liquid crystal polymer.

8. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion includes two pieces of polymer sheet, each piece of polymer sheet having a periphery, and wherein the two pieces are bonded together along at least a portion of their peripheries.

9. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion includes a single piece of polymer sheet, the single piece of polymer sheet having a periphery, and wherein the single piece is folded and bonded together along a portion of its periphery.

10. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein an internal surface of the chamber is treated with at least one of DNase inhibitors, RNase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, anti-coagulants, anti-bacterial agents, anti-fungal agents, chelating agents, and glycerol.

11. The vessel of claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion comprises a bag.

12. The vessel of claim 11 , wherein the bag comprises an open end that is attached to a port.

13. The vessel of claim 12 , wherein the port comprises a hub fitting.

14. The vessel of claim 12 , wherein the port comprises a threaded fitting.

15. The vessel of claim 12 , wherein the port includes a threaded portion for engaging with a complementary threaded portion of a cap or a transfer vessel such that upon engagement of the complementary threaded portions, a seal is formed between the vessel and an external environment.

16. The vessel of claim 12 , wherein the port includes at least one of the complementary mating mechanism arranged to sealingly engage with a complementary mating mechanism of a cap or second vessel.

17. The vessel of claim 16 , wherein the complementary mating mechanisms engage by at least one of a screw-fit, a snap-fit, a pressure-fit, or a magnetic attachment.

18. The vessel of claim 12 , wherein the port is substantially rigid.

19. A vessel for containing a sample, the vessel comprising,

a reversibly sealable chamber for containing the sample, the reversibly sealable chamber including a flexible portion being flexible enough to deform nondestructively in response to a mechanical impact sufficient to fragment the sample into a plurality of sample fragments, and

a port attached to the flexible portion and having a mating region for reversibly attaching to a mating region of a second vessel to enable transfer of material between the sample vessel and the second vessel while maintaining a seal between the sample and an external environment, wherein the flexible portion is formed from a material that remains nondestructively deformable at temperatures less than about −40° C.

20. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein the flexible portion is formed from a material that remains nondestructively deformable at temperatures between about −40° C. and about −196° C.

21. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein the flexible portion is formed from a material that does not crack, tear, or rip when exposed to the mechanical impact.

22. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the vessel has a thickness of between about 0.5 and about 5 mil.

23. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein at least the flexible portion is formed at least in part from one of: polyimide, polysulfone, fluorinated polymer, or a liquid crystal polymer.

24. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein an internal surface of the structural barrier is treated with at least one of DNase inhibitors, RNase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, anti-coagulants, anti-bacterial agents, anti-fungal agents, chelating agents, and glycerol.

25. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein the mating regions of the port and the second vessel comprise threaded regions that are complementary to one another.

26. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein the mating region of the port is attached to the mating region of the second vessel by at least one of a screw-fit, a snap-fit, a pressure-fit, or a magnetic attachment.

27. The vessel of claim 19 , wherein the flexible portion comprises a Kapton sheet, the Kapton sheet including a sealed edge on at least one side, and wherein the port comprises a hub having a threaded portion and a cap having a threaded portion that is complementary to the threaded portion of the hub, wherein engagement of the threaded portion of the hub with the threaded portion of the cap forms a seal between an interior of the vessel and the external environment.

28. A method for processing a sample, the method comprising:

providing a vessel and a sample contained within the vessel, the vessel having a reversibly sealable barrier between the sample and an external environment, and the vessel including a flexible portion that deforms nondestructively in response to a mechanical impact sufficient to fragment the sample into a plurality of sample fragments, the flexible portion being formed from a material that remains nondestructively deformable at temperatures less than about −40° C; and

exposing the flexible portion and the sample to a mechanical impact to fragment at least one portion of the sample into a plurality of sample fragments.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising:

mating a port of the vessel with a second vessel to provide a fluid interconnection between the vessel and the second vessel.

30. The method of claim 29 , further comprising:

transferring the plurality of sample fragments from the vessel to the second vessel.

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein mating a port of the vessel with the second vessel comprises rotating the port of the vessel relative to the second vessel to form a seal between the vessel and an external environment.

32. The method of claim 29 , wherein the port of the vessel and the second vessel each comprise complementary threaded regions.

33. The method of claim 29 , wherein mating the port of the vessel with the second vessel comprises at least one of locking, screw-fitting, snap-fitting, pressure-fitting, or magnetically attaching the port of the vessel and the second vessel to form a seat between the vessel and an external environment.

34. The method of claim 29 , wherein the port of the vessel is substantially more rigid than the flexible portion of the vessel.

35. The method of claim 28 , wherein the flexible portion of the vessel comprises one or more polymer sheets that are sealed together to form the flexible portion.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the flexible portion includes a bag.