What is cell culture contamination?
Cell culture contaminants can be divided into two main categories, chemical contaminants such as impurities in media, sera, and water, endotoxins, plasticizers, and detergents, and biological contaminants such as bacteria, molds, yeasts, viruses, mycoplasma, as well as cross contamination by other cell lines.
How is contamination detected in cell culture?
Bacterial contamination is easily detected by visual inspection of the culture within a few days of it becoming infected;
- Infected cultures usually appear cloudy (i.e., turbid), sometimes with a thin film on the surface.
- Sudden drops in the pH of the culture medium is also frequently encountered.
How do you treat a contamination in a cell culture?
If you want to avoid the bacterial contamination in the cell culture lab then you should do fumigation (potassium permanganant and Formaldehyde) in the lab. you would add antibiotics in the DMEM medium, it will be helpful to you.
What is a contaminated cell line?
Contaminated cell lines have been extensively used in research without knowledge of their true character. More serious is contamination at the source: during establishment of the original cell line, some contaminating cells are accidentally introduced into the cultures, where they in time outgrow the desired cells.
How do you detect cell contamination?
Depending on the source of contaminants, you can detect cell culture contamination by using a light microscope, Gram stain, isothermal amplification, or PCR.
How can contamination occur?
Contamination may occur from preparing food on a surface that still has chemical residue on it or if someone sprays cleaning chemicals close to uncovered food. Additionally, food can become contaminated from chemicals before it even reaches the kitchen.
How can you prevent contamination?
Keep it clean:
- Wash hands and surfaces often.
- Wash hands with soap and hot water before and after handling food, and after using the bathroom, changing diapers; or handling pets.
- Use hot, soapy water and paper towels or clean cloths to wipe up kitchen surfaces or spills.
How common is contamination in cell culture?
Culture Contamination: An Overview Based on studies by the FDA, ATCC, and others, it is estimated that 5 – 30% of all cell cultures today are contaminated with mycoplasma species alone.