How Can I Avoid Mycoplasma Contamination And Other Serious Cell Culture Problems?

By Bionique

Cell culture research and engineering have greatly impacted human health, ranging from vaccine manufacturing to stem cell therapies, cell-based assays and cancer immunotherapeutic products. Critical to the success of these applications is the quality of the cultures used.

There are several ways to develop a comprehensive program to actively manage cell cultures, the laboratory facility and personnel. The program should address all potential contaminants, chemical as well as biological, and strategies dealing with potential accidents, natural disasters or any other event that could result in the loss of cell culture or compromise the culture integrity.

This article outlines some basic steps to assist you in providing the individual level of protection needed for your cultures, such as:

1. Evaluate what type of program the best meets your requirements

2. All personnel should gain a complete understanding of your cell cultures and their applications

3. Improve aseptic techniques and practices

4. Reduce opportunities for accidents and mistakes

5. Test cultures for contamination

6. Only use antibiotics responsibly

7. Use validated frozen cell stocks strategically