Bacterial and fungal contamination is is a major challenge in Parasite culture in general and Plasmodium in particular. Several antibiotics are efficiently used to prevent such contamination. However, once the culture is already contaminated, how can we clean it ?
Hi Denis,
Here is a file that may help take care of your concerns.
http://www.level.com.tw/html/ezcatfiles/vipweb20/img/img/20297/contamination-COR.pdf
Hi Denis!
Is the culture ongoing?
If yes, culture medium should be supplemented with antibiotics.
New discoveries may emerge from unexpected angles. Just keep a flask of contaminated culture continuing for further biochemical examination because secretion from bacteria or fungi might uncover specific details not yet know.
Good luck,
Fabrice
Dear Denis
Here is an answer from Prof. Krishna Mohan, Fungal Biologist from India:
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I have not worked with plasmodium and do not know if it can be grown or maintained in vitro as it might require a host. Assuming that it does, I might offer some advice based on my work with slow growing algal cultures. One way to try is to use inhibitors of cell wall synthesis (first test them for their effect on plasmodium) and transfer plasmodium cultures as frequently as permissible. Fungal contamination is real problem. Second, if you have access to micromanipulater, to physically lift the plasmodium cells onto new medium. Though I have not done this, but it was suggested to me. I have seen some of my colleagues doing this with mycorrhizal spores.
KM
M Krishna Mohan
BISR, Jaipur
+93145-09942 (M)
Hi Denis,
I have worked with malaria parasite cultures for many years (over 15 years) now and to clear bacterial contamination from cultures once they appear is impossible in the presence of Plasmodium (the antibiotics negatively affect parasite growth and development), so just discard any bacteria-contaminated cultures.
I have developed a method for clearing fungal contamination (see my publications) which you can try if those cultures are so precious. Your success depends on how careful you can be with the technique. Using anti-fungals may help remove the fungal spores if present because the technique might not remove the spores. If you want to try my method, you are welcome, however, I need to complete compiling the full details for the website in a little while.
Cheers.
Dear Micheal,
That's great as experience. Please can I have a copy of your publication on the techniques?
It is in possible to clear fungi or bacteria from a contaminated culture.Once the culture is contaminated discard the culture .Even if anti fungal is use this will not help.
I am agree with Simon Correa. Once Pf culture is contaminated with bacteria or fungal, just discard it. However mycoplasma contamination can successfully be controlled with Trypsinization. U can view my publication in Research in Microbiology, 2013
For those interested in my method for fungal removal, I completed its upload under my publications; you are free to try it. Should anything still remain unclear, freely contact me for possible advice. Please, let me know your results. Cheers.
It is almost impossible to remove these contamination from Plasmodium culture.
I have seen that about 10 uM of Ciprofloxacin can clear bacterial contamination from culture. However, your parasites will go into stress and you may lose about 40% of the culture.
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