I'm going to assume you've seen this article already, but just in case: http://bitesizebio.com/9014/got-phage-heres-how-to-get-rid-of-it/
1) Use 10% Hypo chloride to clean flasks, bottles, caps and O rings etc., before washing and autoclaving..
2) Perform Fogging (using vircon) of complete lab
3) Install UV lamps in the Lab and use complete night
4) Use vircon for floor/platform cleaning etc.,
5) Finally if your lab comes under classified area (AHU installed); then go for 100% exhaust while working, instead of 70-80% re circulation of old air (It will increase viral load in the lab.
[Don't blame phages unnecessarily , if you are facing problem with F- bacterial strains :) ]
In order to kill the phages just with more UV light and autoclave everything again.
Also I'd suggest check the incubator temperature, the kind of bacteria you wanna grow. If your culture does not grow, most probably you are dealing with a technical issue or the conditions for growing are not the appropriate instead of special phage contamination case.
Instead of "BELIEVING", just get CONFIRMED by simply performing PLAQUE ASSAY by careful SAMPLING from your suspected materials with your "cultures" as a HOST.
I agree that technical issue is much more likely. I would also suggest temperature. We had identical problem (incubator malfunction "boiled" many of our cultures). Also, maybe the water purification system isn't working properly
Many labs (including our) routinely work with phages and don't get a single contamination for years. Most phages won't infect well maintained flask / tube cultures even if large volumes of high titer lysates were spilled in the room.
do formaldehyde and potassium permanganate fumigation. Take a petridish and fill it half with formaldehyde. Add 2 spoons of KMnO4 and leave it overnight. Make sure you dont inhale the fumes and leave your lab closed overnight. You can put this in all four corners of your lab and inside incubators.Next day you should switch on the fan and leave windows and incubators open for 12 hours. Make sure you don't inhale fumes and also remember to wear glasses.
Agree with Eric Keen's advice.
We once had a near intractable problem with T1 phage contamination. Source was a trash dumpster behind the lab building. Once removed, problem ceased.
- Badges
- Science method