I used to work in a separate tissue culture room before, but now have to set the BSC and TC incubators in an isolated (but not closed) area of the lab. It is working well, but now we are going to start doing bacterial work for molecular biology and preparing GST-fusion proteins in the lab (outside the area where the TC facilities are, but still within the same room). Wonder anyone has encountered contamination problem for the cell culture because of growing bacterial culture in the same room? Thanks
our lab studies host-pathogen interaction and we regularly culture both mammalian and bacterial cells. We have kept two separate incubators for only cell and only bacteria (or bacteria also requires 5% Co2 to grow). We have not faced any recurring contamination yet.
Dear Kwok-On Lai
It is highly risky. Not having bacterial contamination presently does not mean that you will never have any contamination in the future. You have to be extra careful with the necessary precautions in place. Bacterial contamination in mammalian cell culture is serious. Humans are bound to make errors. So, if you are planning to grow bacterial culture in mammalian cell culture facility please be extra cautious.
Best Wishes.
In my opinion, the major risk of contaminating tissue cultures with various microorganisms doesn't come from bacterial cultures that are kept in separate, closed vessels, but from the microbiome shed by the operator. Hence the need to prevent it by adequate precautions: laminar flow hoods, gloves etc.
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