I am sharing an incubator and I am used to using sterile water and regular cleaning program to keep my water sterile. However, the copper sulfate keeps being added to the incubator. I have heard this is common practice for other types of cell culture but I am wondering if this is something that could affect a more fussy type of cell such as stem cells.
Hello Alice Chibnall
Yes, many laboratories do successfully use a number of chemical additives in their incubator humidity trays including copper sulfate (1.0 g per litre). In 10 L of pure water, you may add 10 g copper sulfate and 0.2 g EDTA. Fill your water tray to the mark. Once you see a blue deposit in the tray, it’s time to change the solution, but once a week will be the right way.
Use the correct concentration of copper sulfate as using copper sulfate in water at high concentration or for long term may harm cells and incubator components over time because of the warm, humid and slightly acidic atmosphere (due to the CO2 gas + humidity making weak carbonic acid) in a CO2 incubator.
If you do not have a copper lined CO2 incubator, copper sulfate may corrode your stainless-steel interiors. So, double check what you’ve got before you try using copper sulfate to keep water sterile in the incubator.
Best.
Hello Malcom,
Thanks so much for your help. Yes, I think that the fragility of this specific cell type would be vulnerable to the acidic atmosphere.
Alice
- Badges
- Science topic