Can anyone help identify/suggest what these parasites are that we have found in our cell cultures?
These are SH-SY5Y cells which are contaminated with what looks like parasites/worms, which are a mix of short fast movers and longer slightly slower ones. Seem to attach to the cells too.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
If I'm interpreting the image correctly and the larger bodies at 12 and 8-6 o' clock are your intended Eukaryota then it looks to me like bacillus or streptobacilli shaped bacteria. Sometimes I find my Clostridia (normally single bacilli) grow like this when cultured in sub optimal conditions which results in the longer chains being less mobile. To confirm I'd spread a sample on a TSA or NA plate observe again and maybe do an API if you have them.
I don't think they're worms or nemotodes, there aren't many that small and something would have to have been really wrong with the aseptic technique or a really weird contamination route.
Hi Elizabeth,
Hope things are good for you?
Thanks for your reply. Interesting - I originally thought they were some sort of bacillus but would they move that fast?
I'll see if we can get a culture tested like you said.
Thanks,
Elyse.
Yeah, good thanks. Hope things are well.
They can be quite quick but it depends on the viscosity of the media, how you prepared the slide and the magnification.
Cheers,
Elizabeth
Hi Elyse,
hope everything is OK.
I also think they are bacteria, sometimes they are really fast movers! Easily checked with TSA, NA or PCA cultures, as already suggested.
Cheers
Paolo
I'm not sure of the scale (haven't tried to figure it out), but weird and wonderful organisms of a size larger than bacteria yet smaller than worms can sometimes be found in cultures of one sort or another. Free-living amoebae (some of which have a flagellated form) and Mastigina are examples. I don't know what is involved in this case.
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