A method of lysing at least one of a cell and a virus, the method including: contacting a sample, which includes at least one of a cell and a virus, with a plurality of beads which are disposed in a first chamber to obtain a combination of the sample and the beads; and agitating the combination of the sample and the beads to lyse the at least one of the cell and the virus, wherein in the first chamber a liquid volume fraction is 0.6 or less, and wherein the liquid volume fraction is a value obtained by dividing a liquid volume of the first chamber by a pure void volume equivalent to a sum of the liquid volume of the first chamber and a void volume of the first chamber.