Chapter 6: Cell Culture Contaminants

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the cell culture contaminants. Most laboratories using cell and tissue cultures are plagued with the problem of contaminations. Initially the problem was thought to be one of only bacteria, yeast, and mold contaminations, and the advent of antibiotics appeared to be the “cure all.” Unfortunately this has not proved to be the case and the use of antibiotics has compounded the problem rather than lessened it. In fact the evidence is clear that the use of antibiotics in cell cultures has developed a false sense of security in workers which has led to haphazard cultural techniques. There is mounting evidence that mycoplasma contamination of cultured tissue cells causes profound alterations in the nutritional, biochemical, cytogenetic, and immunological characteristics of the cell. Consequently a reevaluation of the possible role of mycoplasma contamination in the interpretation of many reported studies, in which tests for the possible presence of mycoplasma were not done, may be necessary.