Dear researchers,
We are struggling with neverending mold contamination in all of our CO2 incubators. In the past, we used to do H2O2 decontamination/24hr-UV mode every two months now we do it every three weeks, and sometimes even that is not enough - the mold simply starts growing on all metal parts (shelves, walls, shelf-holders, water cover, fan cover...).
When the contamination occurs, we always clean all the metal parts (incl. the screws) with some disinfectant (one of those: aerodesin, bacillol, incidin, CaviWipes, Virkon S, desam OX - we change it) and then run the H2O2 decontamination/UV decontamination. 3 incubators have the H2O2 decon. unit, 1 of them does not (UV-decontaminated only), but the mold grows in all of them.
What would you suggest as an efficient way to remove the spores?
What about some small ozone generator put into the incubator overnight?
Would autoclaving help? We also have a small plastic "fan" next to the CO2 influx - we always clean it with disinfectants, but I am unsure whether it is made of autoclavable plastic. But anyway - we cannot autoclave the walls, where the mold grows as well.
The maximum temperature in each of our incubators is 45 °C, so decontamination by high temperatures is impossible.
Would be happy about any advice or experience of others.
Thanks.
Hi Hana Svozilová
It seems to me that the water you put in the humidifying pan is the issue. Try to put double-autoclaved MilliQ water in the pan and change weekly.
Hope it helps,
Subham.
Have you checked the gas input tubing/vents/filter? Consider giving all surfaces in the room a clean as a fresh inoculation of spores could be getting in each time you open the incubator.
Source: https://labincubators.net/blogs/blog/preventing-contamination-in-mammalian-cell-culture
- Badges
- Science method