Hi, We have been having some curious contamination in our cell culture. We have suspension cells and the media looked fine, no smell no signs that there was contamination. But under the microscope, we see those dendric style little sticks that do not move (so we exclude bacteria) and those bigger fluffy blobs (see pictures). We think fungi but we are unsure. If you can help identify please, we could try do adjust our ways accordingly.
P.S. we do cell culture without antibiotics or anti-fungi and we can't use them.
Thank you!
Definitely some sort of fungal mold. Only suggestion is to increase the sterility of the work area/work in a laminar flow hood.
Hello Joannie Lemaire
I too agree with Robert Adolf Brinzer . The most common fungal contaminants are mold and yeast. Both are clearly visible in the media. Mold will look like long hairy structures under the microscope while yeast grow rapidly and under the microscope look like clusters with long protrusions sticking out, something like a misshapen pinecone. The contamination in this case appears like mold.
In the early stages of contamination you won’t observe any turbidity, but as infection increases cell culture medium will become turbid.
Best.
Based on the pictures you provided, it is possible that the contamination in your cell culture is due to a fungal infection. The dendritic sticks and fluffy blobs are characteristic of some types of fungi, although it is difficult to make a definitive identification without further testing.
If you are unable to use antibiotics or antifungal agents, there are some other steps you can take to minimize the risk of contamination in your cell culture. Here are some suggestions:
If you are still unsure about the identity of the contamination in your culture, you may want to consider sending a sample for testing to a specialized laboratory or consulting with an expert in cell culture techniques.
It seems that it is a contamination caused by fungal, you must take more care in the working area, hands, and incubator in terms of sterility. In addition, make sure to prevent any conatact beween your skin or hair to the working area since they are often the main cause of this contamination.
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